Tigers, monkeys, lions: a look at Malta’s 96 wild animals awaiting registration
25 people who were keeping dangerous animals illegally applied to register them under the amnesty announced last February
Ten lions, 15 tigers, five leopards, five pumas, 29 monkeys and 10 chimpanzees are among the 96 dangerous animals currently pending registration.
The animals are pending registration after 25 individuals applied for an amnesty for having kept them illegally.
A 2016 law bans private individuals from keeping dangerous animals unless they are housed in a licensed zoo.
However, in February, the government announced that owners keeping dangerous animals illegally would be granted amnesty if they applied to register their animals within 90 days.
The animals pending registration must be neutered within the next six months
Animal Rights Minister Anton Refalo later told parliament that 25 people had applied for amnesty, covering a total of 96 dangerous animals. Refalo added that the animals pending registration must be neutered within the next six months.
Times of Malta asked for a breakdown of the different species. The list includes: Ten chimpanzees, five capuchin monkeys, eight vervet monkeys, 11 green monkeys, seven Barbary macaques, two patas monkeys, three black-crested mangabeys, three De Brazza’s monkeys, two baboons, 10 lions, one black panther, five pumas, 13 tigers, two Bengal tigers, two serval cats, five leopards, two lemurs, one caiman, one waterbuck and three Barbary sheep.
The list of species. Graphic: Bertrand BorgThe ministry said the names of those who applied for the amnesty could not be shared due to GDPR regulations.
It is not yet clear where these animals are currently being kept. However, the ministry said that the Veterinary Regulatory Directorate will “carry out the necessary checks”.
Animal rights junior minister Alicia Bugeja Said previously said that fines would start being issued once the amnesty period had ended.
Anyone who fails to register their animals or breaks the rules could face fines of between €8,000 and €15,000 per animal, additional penalties of between €2,000 and €65,000, and even prison sentences of up to three years for repeat offences.
Back in 2020, Refalo revealed that nearly 400 wild animals were being kept in captivity in Malta. The largest populations included 64 tigers, 20 lions, 11 leopards, and 24 pumas.
More recently, he noted that a site in Rabat housing four lions and a leopard is registered with the Animal Welfare Department, although it has not been sanctioned by the Planning Authority.