Exotic animals enjoying international protection are being exhibited at Montekristo Animal Park without the necessary legal documentation, yet no penalties have been imposed.
Polidano Brothers, the park’s owners, did not inform Mepa of the importation of exotic species being exhibited at Montekristo Estates, which is hosted on an illegally-developed site subject to an enforcement notice issued six years ago.
The import and export of species protected by CITES (the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora) has to be author-ised through a licensing system managed by Mepa.
The aim of CITES is to ensure that international trade in specimens of wild animals and plants does not threaten their survival.
In cases of breach of regulations, criminal prosecution is to be carried out and fines between €466 and €4,660 imposed on first conviction. Yet no criminal proceedings have been initiated by Mepa against Polidano Brothers for a breach of CITES rules.
“Usually, certificates are requested and inspected upon importation before release by customs or the Veterinary Directorate, but in this case Mepa was not notified of the importation of the species held at Montekristo,” a spokesman said.
Mepa did say it has been carrying out a species assessment that started two months ago. The operator has been asked to provide certification for every species listed under CITES, according to the authority, which also said a number of certificates or proof of legal acquisition had been provided for the species identified last month.
Yet the more controversial species such as the wild cats being kept at the park are still missing the necessary documentation, Mepa said.
The regulation does not stipulate a time-frame within which certificates are to be provided, and it is the competent authority’s discretion on whether to take legal action.
A number of species at Montekristo Animal Park benefit from varying levels of international protection. These include pumas, jungle cats, Eurasian lynxes, Barbary macaques (monkeys), ring-tailed lemurs as well as a carcal (wild cat), a lion and an ocelot.
Species listed under appendix one of the convention can be traded only in exceptional circumstances. Other species are not necessarily threatened with extinction but their “trade must be controlled in order to avoid utilisation incompatible with their survival”.
Not only are the species not imported legitimately, but the conditions in which they are kept are inadequate. The wild animals are confined to cages too small for their well-being.
The Parliamentary Secretariat for Animal Rights confirmed the park’s owners have been sent at least two warning letters, the first two years ago. Another warning was served last April.
The Animal Welfare Act also allows fines to be imposed but, again, there have been no penalties for Polidano Brothers.
Paul Polidano, one of the brothers, said he was not involved in the animal park’s operations. His brother, Charles Polidano, did not want to comment.