CY adopts a moufflon

By Jean Christou

CYPRUS Airways (CY) is one of the first companies to ‘adopt’ an animal from Limassol zoo under a scheme to raise money to improve the welfare of its occupants.

” We adopted a moufflon, which has been the symbol of Cyprus Airways since the 1960s,”said CY spokesman Tassos Angelis. ” It is with us and it’s a sign which has not been changed throughout all these years. We want to give the message of commitment towards our traditions and our country and at the same time assist the endeavour to help the zoo and the welfare of the animals there.”

Limassol municipality announced in June that it would launch an ‘adoption’ scheme to help finance the ailing zoo, which receives a negligible amount in state help.

Under the scheme, ‘foster parents’ can be anything from individuals to families, school classes, clubs, foundations and companies. Adoption is for one year, with the fees corresponding to the cost of feeding and maintaining the animal. In return, foster parents are given a photograph of their ‘pet’, a sticker and one year’s free entrance to the zoo.

Fees start at £30 per year for smaller animals, such as canaries, hamsters and rabbits, going up to a hefty £1,500 for lions, bears and tigers. ‘Parents’ are also issued an adoption certificate.

But so far only three companies have come forward to adopt an animal – CY, the Limassol Co-op and Virardi Enterprises. The Co-op shelled out £1,000 for a leopard and Virardi, like CY, opted for a moufflon at £600.

” A lot more companies should be interested in this effort,”Angelis said adding that it was a wonderful idea. ” We strongly support this endeavour, “he added.

Zoo vet Lambros Lambrou told the Cyprus Mailyesterday that they had had enquiries not only from companies but also from individuals. ” After Christmas we will organise a campaign in schools and also in hotels,”he said, adding that many companies had asked the zoo to wait for the New Year, when they would be organising their budgets for 2002.

” People are interested and they want to help,”he said.

The Cyprus Mail is the only English-language daily newspaper published in Cyprus. It was established in 1945 and today, with its popular and widely-read website, the Cyprus Mail is among the most trusted news sites in Cyprus. The newspaper is not affiliated with any political parties and has always striven to maintain its independence. Over the past 70-plus years, the Cyprus Mail, with a small dedicated team, has covered momentous events in Cyprus’ modern history, chronicling the last gasps of British colonial rule, Cyprus’ truncated independence, the coup and Turkish invasion, and the decades of negotiations to stitch the divided island back together, plus a myriad of scandals, murders, and human interests stories that capture the island and its -people. Observers describe it as politically conservative.