Janice Chetcuti the Shadow Minister for Consumer Rights and Animal Welfare, in a statement on Saturday, said that the “reaction to the recent discovery of four lions and a leopard illegally kept on a farm in the outskirts of Naxxar once again clearly demonstrates the Labour Government’s lack of planning and vision.”

She went on to say that “despite existing laws clearly stating that such animals should be immediately confiscated and provided with temporary accommodation until a suitable permanent habitat is found, the Government failed to plan for this eventuality.

“Consequently, it remains unclear what the ultimate fate of these exotic animals, found abandoned, will be.”

The laws in such cases are clear: every animal of these species in Malta must be licensed, said Chetcuti “If not, the Veterinary Services Directorate has the authority to confiscate the animal on-site, remove it from the owner, and arrange temporary accommodation until a suitable long-term home is found to ensure the animal can live in an appropriate environment.”

However, “the Government has not created any facilities capable of providing shelter to these types of animals, which are often found in unsuitable conditions, as was the case here,” she said.

“Through various contacts made in recent hours, the Opposition has tried to understand the Government’s immediate and long-term plans for these poor animals. However, so far, the Nationalist Party has not been given any guarantees or even the right to know what is being planned for these animals. We have not even been provided with basic information about the animals found and their current health status,” said the Shadow Minister

“While public safety must always be the top priority in similar cases, it is equally important to ensure that the animals themselves are given everything necessary to guarantee a better quality of life, both physically and psychologically.

“The PN also wants to ensure that all necessary actions are taken to enforce any laws that may have been broken in this case. Once these animals recover their health, they must be sent to appropriate sanctuaries capable of accommodating them and not to facilities that would exploit them for profit,” said Chetcuti.

She added that, “we understand that this may not be an isolated case, and similar situations likely exist in our country. Therefore, we urge the Government and the relevant authorities to take appropriate legal action and prepare to ensure that Malta can properly accommodate animals that fall victim to such situations.”

Chetcuti concluded by saying that the Opposition expressed its agreement with the proposals put forward by animal welfare NGOs in an open letter sent to the Government in recent hours. “We encourage the responsible Minister to listen to the demands made by these organisations and individuals.”

Screenshot Vuci ghall-Annimali video of one of the lions at a premises in Naxxar

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