The expansion and development of human society has inevitably affected the lives of many other species. Disruption to their lifestyles has been both accidental and deliberate and has resulted in suffering, death or even extinction. The prevailing assumption that animals can be used for any purpose that supposedly benefits humankind is not acceptable. Despite the claims made by government the proposed regulations, that is the draft Legal Notice on the Keeping of Wild Animals in Zoos Regulations, 2020,  do not ‘strengthen the role of zoos in the conservation of biodiversity’, nor do they ‘protect the health and wellbeing of wild animals’.

ADPD Deputy Chairperson Mark Zerafa said:”The proposed Keeping of Wild Animals in Zoos Regulations, 2020, depart from the point that it is acceptable to keep wild animals in zoos, particularly animals, such as large cats and other animals, which animals’ natural environments cannot in any way and by any stretch of the imagination be replicated in Malta. It is clear to those who take the time to understand the so-called ‘zoo’ phenomenon in Malta, that these private collections of wild animals are vanity projects and the new status symbols for some people. As such the aim of government should be the phasing out of private collections of wild animals and not their encouragement through regulations which give a veneer of acceptability to such private projects. No breeding of wild animals should be allowed for private collections. Additionally these collections are excuses for the take up of land, probably agricultural land, to be turned into commercial and retail spaces with the added ‘attraction’ of wild animals in cages.”

“Any permits for ‘zoos’ should be based on whether these benefit the animal concerned. Licenses should only be granted to bona fide research-led establishments involved in either captive breeding of endangered species for eventual return to the wild or else to those offering genuine sanctuary to animals unable, through injury and other cause, to be returned to the wild and where their living conditions are as close as possible to the animal’s natural habitat. In Malta this would mean the breeding or sanctuary to fauna which occur naturally here, or the reintroduction of species which have become rare, certainly not lions, tigers and giraffes.”

“As things stand, so-called ‘zoos’ in Malta are merely a veneer over money making enterprises or vanity projects in which the welfare of the animals is of secondary importance. It is inherently cruel to confine a wild animal, naturally adapted to roam the savannah, for example, in an artificial enclosure. Animals in the wild may exhibit complex social interactions and hunting and foraging instincts which they are unable to express in a confined setting. Such animals have been known to exhibit symptoms of stress and frustration that have been collectively termed zoochosis. Allowing visitors to pet these animals and to pose for pictures with them further compounds and exacerbates the animals’ suffering.”

Mark Zerafa concluded:”We reiterate that zoos are unnecessary and undesirable. While the proposed regulations may set minimum standards for animal welfare, although government has already given in and will allow wild animal petting, the fact remains that private collections of animals just for the sake of it should be phased out.”

***

L-hekk imsejħa Zoos m’għandhomx benefiċċji għall-konservazzjoni, huma biss fanfarunati ta’ xi wħud

L-iżvilupp tas-soċjetà umana inevitabbilment affettwaw il-ħajja ta’ ħafna speċi oħra. Ħafna drabi l-effetti fuq il-bijodiversità wasslu għal tbatija, mewt jew saħansitra l-estinzjoni ta’ bosta speċi differenti. Ma nistgħux nitilqu mill-punt li l-annimali jistgħu jintużaw għal kwalunkwe skop li għall-benefiċċju ta’ xi wħud. Minkejja l-proposta tal-gvern ta’ regolamenti ġodda dwar l-hekk imsejħa zoos, l-Avviż Legali dwar iż-Żamma ta’ Annimali Slavaġġ fiż-Zoos tal-2020, dawn ir-regolamenti filfatt ma’ jsaħħux ir-rwol tas-suppost zoos fil-konservazzjoni tal-bijodiversità, u lanqas ma’ jipproteġu s-saħħa u l-benesseri ta’ annimali slavaġġ.

Id-Deputat Chairperson tal- partit ADPD Mark Zerafa qal: “Ir-Regolamenti tal-2020 dwar Żamma ta’ Annimali Slavaġġ fiż-Zoos, jitilqu mill-punt li huwa aċċettabbli li jinżammu annimali slavaġġ fiż-Zoos, partikolarment annimali, bħal ljuni, tigri u annimali oħra. L-abitat naturali ta’ dawn l-annimali ma jista’ bl-ebda mod jiġi replikat f’Malta. Huwa ċar għal dawk li jridu jifmhu li l-hekk imsejħa zoos f’Malta, huma biss proġetti ta ‘vanità u simboli tal-istatus ġodda għal xi nies. Bħala tali l-għan tal-gvern għandu jkun li tali kollezzjonijiet privati ta’ annimali slavaġġ jingħalqu gradwalment u mhux l-inkoraġġiment tagħhom permezz ta’ regolamenti li jagħtu sembjanza ta’ aċċettabilità lil dawn il-fanfarunati. L-ebda trobbija ta’ annimali slavaġġ m’għandha tkun permessa għal kollezzjonijiet private, aktar u aktar meta dawn il-kollezzjonijiet huma ħafna drabi skużi biex tinbena aktar art agrikola, u biex din l-art tinbidel fi spazji kummerċjali bl-attrazzjoni addizzjonali ta’ annimali slavaġġ fil-gaġeġ.”

“Kwalunkwe permess għal Zoos, jekk u meta jkun hemm bżonn, għandu jingħata biss jekk dawn l-istrutturi jkunu ta’ benefiċċju għall-ispeċi partikolari. Liċenzji għandhom jingħataw biss lil istituzzjonijiet ta’ riċerka li l-għan tagħhom ikun li jsalvaw speċi fil-periklu tal-estinzjoni, u li jrabbu speċi għall-eventwali ritorn tagħhom fl-abitati naturali tagħhom. Jew inkella lil stutturi ta’ rijabilitazzjoni jew li joffru santwarju għal annimali li ma jistgħux, minħabba l-istat ta’ saħħithom, jiġu ritornati fis-selvaġġ. Kull stuttura għandha toffri kundizzjonijiet tal-għajxien viċin kemm jista’ jkun tal-abitat naturali tal-annimal. L-introduzzjoni mill-ġdid fin-natura Maltija ta’ speċi li saru rari f’Malta, ċertament ma jfissirx iljuni, tigri u ġiraffi għax l-ebda struttura ma tista’ toffri ambjent idoneju għal dawn it-tip ta’ annimali f’Malta.”

“L-hekk imsejħa Zoos f’Malta huma sempliċement intrapriżi kummerċjali, jew proġetti ta ‘vanità  personali li fihom il-benesseri tal-annimali huwa ta’ importanza sekondarja. Huwa krudili li annimali per eżempju tas-savana jispiċċaw f’ambjenti artifiċjali. Huwa magħruf li annimali bħal dawn juru sintomi ta’ stress u frustrazzjoni msejjaħ zoochosis. Anke l-hekk imsejjaħ ‘petting’ ta’ dawn l-annimali jiggrava t-tbatija ta’ dawn l-annimali.”

Mark Zerafa kkonkluda: “Aħna ntennu li ż-Zoos mhux meħtieġa. Filwaqt li r-regolamenti proposti jistgħu jistabbilixxu standards minimi għall-benesseri tal-annimali, għalkemm il-gvern diġà ċeda u se jippermetti li l-annimali slavaġġjintużaw għal skopijiet kummerċjali, il-fatt jibqa’ li kollezzjonijiet privati ta’ annimali slavaġġ għandhom jinqatgħu.”