A person was treated for a bite by an ‘exotic animal’ at Mater Dei hospital in November, Health Minister Chris Fearne confirmed in parliament this week.
He was replying to a question from PN MP Mario Galea, who asked whether anybody had been admitted to hospital after suffering a bite from “an exotic animal such as a tiger”.
The person suffered minor injuries.
Neither Galea nor Fearne gave further information about the incident.
In November last year, the Ministry of Agriculture published draft regulations on the keeping of wild animals in zoos that would have forbidden direct contact between zoo visitors and animals, cutting off the practice of cub petting popular in many local zoos.
However, following a backlash from zookeepers, the ministry backtracked and changed the draft law within 24 hours, allowing cub petting to happen under the supervision of a vet.
When asked about the ministry’s U-turn on cub petting, Agriculture Minister Anton Refalo later said that the regulations were “not set in stone” and that they required further consultation.
In a parliamentary question last month, Agriculture Minister Anton Refalo confirmed that an impact assessment on the draft legislation is being carried out and that it would be presented in a matter of weeks.
During a press conference last month, Mario Galea said that the importation of exotic animals should be banned to stub out the growth of zoos and private wild animal collections while encouraging the public to boycott visiting zoos.
Following a televised debate on zoos and animal rights, activist Moira Delia walked off the live program after zookeeper Chris Borg accused her of lying. Delia claimed there was photographic evidence that Borg was keeping a bear on a chain in his Mtaħleb zoo.
Animal Welfare Commissioner Alison Bezzina has also criticised the government’s backtracking on cub petting and was promptly threatened by zookeeper Anton Cutajar, a known associate of high-ranking Labour officials, who threatened to have her removed from her post.
Cutajar, whose once-illegal Siġġiewi zoo was sanctioned by the Planning Authority in 2017, has plans to significantly expand his operation.