Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1093354
25 maltatoday | SUNDAY • 17 MARCH 2019 OPINION an adult tiger out of its cage during peak visiting hours (note: that was the cause of one of those two child-mauling incidents). Make no mistake: in any country where things like animal welfare and safety are taken seriously… both the Montekristo and Noah's Ark zoo would be instantly closed down, with legal action taken against the proprietors (and that Fgura puma would be released, and returned to the wild). Personally, I was under the impression that it is illegal to build even a spare toilet without a permit… let alone an entire compound full of exotic, wild and potentially lethal ani- mals. But the more serious ille- gality concerns getting hold of those animals in the first place. Leaving aside the puma, which seems to have been legally imported (if illegally treated afterwards)… the stark truth is that one does not simply walk into any old local pet shop, and buy a Siberian tiger-cub over the counter. This may come as a surprise to the PA/Animal Welfare department… but Malta is sig- natory to numerous conven- tions against the illegal trade in exotic animals: especially critically endangered animals like Siberian tigers (of which there are fewer than 600 speci- mens in the wild), and rare variations such as the black panther: an animal so elusive, that a recently photographed wild specimen is believed to be the first-ever sighting since the 1920s. There is simply no way in hell – at least, outside the official, internationally-regulated 'real zoo' circuit – that such ani- mals can be acquired legally: especially for an unlicensed zoo, or (even less) as house- hold pets. So by sanctioning facilities which clearly must have bro- ken international animal traf- ficking laws, Malta's regulatory framework has only allowed itself to become complicit in the illegal trade of critically endangered animals. Meanwhile, it's not just the Maltese authorities that don't seem to remotely give a toss about such issues as 'conser- vation', 'health and safety', 'animal welfare'… or even just law abidance in general. The general public, too, seems perfectly content to take their kids to an unlicensed zoo – containing dangerous animals, and run by a bunch of unqualified, inexperienced and amateur dilettantes – without even pausing to consider the possible risks. Honestly, if it wasn't for the fact that their children them- selves are so clearly blame- less… people like that almost deserve to watch their kids dismembered and devoured by a hungry tiger, before their very eyes. It seems to be the only thing that will ever force them to realise that this sort of thing is illegal… and illegal for a very good reason. Just as you need a medical warrant to practise as a doc- tor… you need official certi- fication to own and manage a zoo. In both cases, failure to observe that basic principle can (and often does) result in DEATH. All too often, it will be the caged, mistreated ani- mal – and not the privileged animal exploiting it – to pay the ultimate price for human greed and ego. And yet – just to prove that there really is no justice in the universe – it is the caged, mistreated animal we call 'wild'. Funny, isn't it? We live in a country where there are laws against keeping your pet dog caged or chained on the roof… but your pet mountain lion?