Deer killed, 13 animals stolen from therapy park

A deer was brutally killed and a number of animals used for therapy with disabled children were stolen from Razzett tal-Hbiberija in Marsascala.

Gordon Pace, the park's fund raising manager, said intruders removed barbed wire and scaled the boundary wall at the back of the complex on Sunday night.

The following morning an adult deer was found dead, beaten on its head and stomach. It was inside an enclosure.

Mr Pace said the intruders made away with three barn owls, two golden pheasants, four mountain goats, a young mountain goat, one Amazon parrot, a rabbit and a monkey.

The animals had either been donated to the park or were born there over the years. It is estimated that the cost to replace all the 13 stolen animals would reach Lm1,300. The monkey alone costs Lm400.

The animals are trained to be friendly with children. Mr Pace said that besides the theft itself what was even more worrying was the fact that the stolen animals were used in the park's animal interaction therapy programmes.

"The theft was against the many disabled children who come to the park for therapy every day. The real losers are the children."

There is no watchman at the park because the high cost of running its services does not allow the administration to employ someone for the job.

Besides the therapy aspect, the animal park also helps the administration to raise money from visitors for the running of its programmes for disabled persons.

Mr Pace made a twofold appeal. He said members of the public should go to the police if they know anything about the whereabouts of the animals or if they are offered any of them for sale.

Secondly, he appealed for donations so that the park would eventually be able to replace the stolen animals.

Anyone who can help can contact Mr Pace on 2163 6526 or 9942 3403.

A report about the theft was made to the police and they are investigating.

The Park of Friendship was founded in 1989 by Janatha and the late Paddy Stubbs, an English couple who then lived in Malta and who never missed a chance to support charities.

The park is a non-profit foundation offering an array of health and leisure services, free of charge, to over 1,000 persons with a disability.

The charity is self-governed and independent from the state or other entity and depends on the generosity of the public, corporate sponsors and its ability to organise regular fundraising activities.

Mr Pace said the cost of running the park amounts to an annual Lm400,000.