Mosta tiger not an endangered species

C. MUSCAT

Oct 19th 2009, 16:17

@ louis Borg- you are so lucky of being able to go and play with this wonderful creature whenever you feel like...if i had the money i would probably do the same thing your son did! to all those who have nothing to do except from always criticising other peple...try to live your only one life you have the way you want and let others do the same...better be afraid of the 'human' creatures who live amongst us ..than of a poor creature that doesn't want anything more than to be loved and taken well care of!! A big well done goes to the owner.

V Falzon

Oct 17th 2009, 21:30

If decent cruelty laws existed, that tiger would be taken away from its owner, and sent to a rehabilitation centre abroad, and gradually introduced to a semi-wild state in a suitable large park. As for the owner, he would be rapped on the knuckles and told he's lucky he is not made to pay the tiger's resettlement expenses. But the papers are in order and the bureaucrats are happy.

Oh, and the tiger's room is air-conditioned. So that's all right...

Franco Farrugia

Oct 17th 2009, 19:35

@ Ms Keeler - That's the point, exactly.

Alison Natalie Keeler

Oct 17th 2009, 18:43

Endangered or otherwise, is the urban surrounds of Mosta a place for such a creature?

And why does the owner have to own a tiger in the first place? Animals, like children, are neither status symbols nor possessions.

John Smith

Oct 17th 2009, 17:53

I do agree with the writer and add: No person may harbor, care for, act as a custodian, or maintain in his possession any dangerous animal except at a properly maintained zoological park, federally licensed exhibit, circus, scientific or educational institution, research laboratory, veterinary hospital or animal refuge. "Dangerous animal" means a lion, tiger, leopard, ocelot, jaguar, cheetah, margay, mountain lion, lynx, bobcat, jaguarundi, bear, hyena, wolf, coyote, or any poisonous life-threatening reptile.

The trade of tigers and their parts is prohibited from commercial international trade by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), an international treaty that includes over 160 member countries. The U.S. Endangered Species Act (ESA) prohibits interstate commerce as well as import and export of tigers and tiger products. In 1994, the U.S. Congress passed the Rhino and Tiger Conservation Act, a specific measure to provide greater protection and resources for conservation of these species. In 1998, an amendment to this act called the Rhino and Tiger Product Labeling Act made it illegal to import, export, or sell products intended for "human. How did MEPA approve this permit?

Martin Borg

Oct 17th 2009, 17:05

So now, we have a friendly tiger. That's a good start. We might have a friendly lion too. Here....pull the other sock.

Joseph Meli

Oct 17th 2009, 17:04

The process of domestication comes from hundreds of years of selective breeding. Yes, the "wild" traits are actually bred out. Tigers that are captive bred for a few generations may be tame but definitely not domesticated. They are wild animals and can be quite unpredictable. These poor animals, when they act out by attacking someone, are just frustrated by not being able to practice their natural behaviors. A tiger still has the instinct to hunt and kill even though if it is raised in an environment where it has no..opportunity to do so. Dogs and cats have had these "wild" traits bred out and are most content sitting around the house because they are domesticated...

Take parrots for example. They are still wild animals. Not domesticated like cats and dogs, even though they are captive bred. Many people have problems dealing with them as pets because of their loud squwalking and screaming. These vocalizations that are normal for them in the rainforest can be an annoyance to owners. So without proper care, they suffer in captivity, are forced to stay in a cage rather than fly, and often self-mutilate by feather plucking because they don't get proper attention or...mental...stimulation.

Joseph Meli

Oct 17th 2009, 16:29

Tigers are 'domesticated' not only by one or two generations only. This tiger is definitely an undomesticated pet. You simply cannot purchase a wild animal and domesticate it. It takes hundreds of years of breeding animals in captivity for them to be domestic.

I'm assuming this..tiger was born in captivity..(since it would be illegal to..import it into Malta). It's parents were probably born in Slovak Republic too, as well it's grandparents. POSSIBLY..it's great grand parents too, but I doubt it, because the International..laws on such animals are still pretty careless for such animals. So MEPA...reconsider if that Tiger is of a 3 or 4 generations of captivity. Try hundreds, even thousands and you will have a domestic pet.

MEPA remember that..Tigers can easily kill..people, even if they are only playing. Having an animal like that can be extremely...dangerous. There are countless reasons why it might hurt someone...one...day. For example if one is to close to his female, in his territory, or to close to his food, to close to the mothers' babies. You have to respect the fact that they are animals, not humans. If you aren't willing to get hurt, don't get to close.

Vince DeBono

Oct 17th 2009, 11:47

@ R Gauci,

Don't worry about that. The family knows the risks. Worry about any innocent victims if the big cat escapes... and the animal will also have to be 'put down' as it will be deemed to have aquired a taste of human flesh...

Then I suppose the victims families will sue the owner and whoever gave the permits ....

MARK MIFSUD BONNICI

Oct 17th 2009, 11:07

Considering anythin imported through customs is recorded and verified. Why was this case not settled within minutes.

As a hunter that often travels abroad to hunt, every return to Malta consists of being searched by representatives from MEPA and Birdlfie to check for any birds i might be importing that might be illegal. This checking is done even though before travelling I prepare all necessary CITES certificates and import papers.

INFALLIBLY ALL THE BIRDS I BRING BACK END UP ON MY MENU FOR A COUPLE OF MONTHS.

CAN ANYONE INVESTIGATING THIS CASE EXPLAIN EXACTLY HOW THIS TIGER WAS IMPORTED?

Sarah Spiteri

Oct 17th 2009, 11:01

Being a cat lover it's been a dream of mine to have a pet tiger/lion since I was a little girl. Obviously the older I got, I realised that not only it was unrealistic but also cruel to keep a wild animal captive. Ever since reading the book "Christian the Lion", a lion who was kept as a pet by two Australians living in London in the 60s and eventually relocated back to Africa, I've felt more strongly than ever than wild animals should not be taken out of their natural environment. It breaks my heart to think about the sad and confined life this tiger cub will go through here in Malta! Shame on the owners and shame on the authorities for allowing the import of such animals. So what if paperwork is in order! This cub needs to be out in huge open spaces and allowed to roam and be a tiger not some pet.

A.Sciberras

Oct 17th 2009, 10:32

It still amazes me how people manage to play with word. I am still perplexed on how this animal was imported in the first place! If I understood correctly, the owner has future plans for this cub. I am sure that he's thinking of how to generate some revenue to get back some of the expeses he will be incurring to feed this tiger.
This is the true definition of thelaw of the jungle , where only the mightyest survive!
p.s: Where have all those who protested against the using of animals in circus gone!

Franco Farrugia

Oct 17th 2009, 10:14

Malta, with its climate, is no place to keep this animal. The decision of MEPA is not beneficial to the animal.

R. Gauci

Oct 17th 2009, 10:02

In a couple of years, the endangered species will be its owner and his family. Whatever he says tigers are not pets, once their instinct will come out they can become very dangerous and will not think twice to eat someone alive.