A dead pig has been left to rot for over three weeks alongside a rural path in Mellieħa, with authorities claiming the process to remove the carcass is "complicated".

A concerned resident told Times of Malta they contacted the authorities on July 12, providing information about where the carcass can be found, including photos of the site and its geolocation.  

The carcass, accompanied by a disturbing odour, was still at the same spot by Thursday. 

The carcass was left to rot on the side of a path Credit: Johnathan Borg

Times of Malta saw a copy of the complaint filed on July 12, followed by a notification from the cleansing department two days later.

A spokesperson for the department said the removal of the carcass requires the intervention of several authorities and can be a bureaucratic process.  

This includes establishing whether the land is private.

If a carcass is found on private land, the cleansing department must seek permission from the landowner to remove it.

“When an animal is found dead on an arterial road, the case is straightforward as we simply collect it. However, in cases such as this, the process is more complicated," the spokesperson said. 

It is yet unclear whether the site is privately owned, but the footpath where the carcass was spotted, is accessible to the public. 

Discarded carcasses such as this one, carry several health risks, including the pollution of waterways and the spreading of diseases, and they also attract pests such as rats and flies.