The Malta Environment and Planning Authority said today that it had concluded its investigation into the finding of a tiger cub in a warehouse in Mosta.
Officials from the Ecosystems Management Unit within MEPA that carried out the investigation concluded that the specimen found was not a Tabby tiger (a very rare colour morph of the Bengal tiger), as various media sources indicated, but an ordinary Bengal tiger (Panthera tigris) that originated from the Slovak Republic.
The investigations also concluded that this particular tiger was not an endangered animal as classified by Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES).
"This three month old tiger specimen is captive bred and so is not originating from the endangered Bengal tigers found in the wild. In this respect, it is difficult for captive bred tigers to be released back to the wild."
"The transactions involving this tiger were all regular and the specimen was accompanied by the necessary documentation and satisfies all the criteria set by the relevant EC Regulations and CITES. It was further proved by the Slovak authorities that the parents of the specimen were also captive bred and their introduction into the European Community was also regular."