TMID Editorial: Wild animals should not be kept as pets
The New Year brought with it a report by animal rights group Vuċi għall-Annimali, that several lions and another wild cat were found to be living in poor conditions on a Naxxar property."Four lions and a leopard or panther were found here i
The New Year brought with it a report by animal rights group Vuċi għall-Annimali, that several lions and another wild cat were found to be living in poor conditions on a Naxxar property.
"Four lions and a leopard or panther were found here illegally. The ERA, the Veterinary Regulations Department (VRD), and the police were all here," an animal rights activist, said on social media, adding that the information they have is that these big cats will probably remain on the property. "There will be police supervision, but the probability is that the VRD does not have the needed structure to take them into their custody immediately," the activist, from Vuċi għall-Annimali, said. The activists also said that the animals were kept without food for several days.
One of the videos posted by the group shows a lion inside a dark room with a locked cage door. We can all agree that is not an acceptable living standard.
If these big cats were brought in illegally, then serious action must be taken against the offenders, and how these animals were brought into the country must be uncovered. If they were brought here legally, but are in poor living conditions, then that shows a lack of competence by the relevant authorities, in which case a review of what went wrong must be undertaken.
Regardless of whether they were brought to Malta legally or not, wild animals should not be allowed to be kept as pets. It goes against their nature. Now some may point out that there are wild animals born in captivity and they cannot survive in the wild, yes, but those animals should be kept in professionally looked after environments with lots of room to move around such as a reserve. A farmhouse on the outskirts of Naxxar is not such a place. Let's also add that there would be panic if one were to get loose.
A spokesperson for the Veterinary Regulations Department told The Times of Malta: "We can confirm that the VRD conducted an enforcement action with the assistance of the police."
"While the site is under surveillance, investigations are still ongoing," the spokesperson added.
The activists said that now the animals are now being fed.
Animal Welfare Commissioner Alison Bezzina told this newsroom that the Animal Welfare Directorate has long tried to convince authorities that such exotic animals should not be allowed in the country if the government does not have the means to enforce the laws by confiscating the animals and taking care of them if the need arises. "We have nowhere in Malta to put them now, so the government's hands are basically tied," she commented, adding that there is not even a veterinarian for the animals, as such animals need a specialised veterinarian. She said that wild animals such as lions and leopards should not be allowed into the country if we do not have the means to certify that their welfare can be safeguarded, and she is right. This is a failure on the part of the authorities, to be prepared for such circumstances.
Whatever reason a person can have for keeping a wild animal like a lion in a small enclosure, even if they think they are taking good care of them, they are not. The animal would be much happier in a reserve that is equipped with more open space to take care of those animals that are born in captivity. Keeping wild animals in small spaces is cruel, and goes against their nature. Wild animals are not pets.
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