By Alex Mita
CYPRUS’ reputation on animal care leaves much to be desired. Reports of animal abuse are depressingly regular, but although ample coverage is given to the issue, calls for action appear to fall on deaf ears, with the responsible authorities taking cover behind a bureaucratic barricade.
Tales of abuse of dogs, cats and donkeys are commonplace, but now reports are emerging of a disturbing trade in exotic animals. Recent newspaper adverts openly offer bobcats, monkeys and ostriches for sale. One small ad last week read: “Wild cats (leopards): pair, imported from the United States, with all relevant licences, £3,500 for the pair.”
One source told the Sunday Mail that, apart from being torn from their natural habitats in a practice condemned by animal rights organisations, monkeys and bobcats were being held in Cyprus in horrendous conditions in tin shacks, knee-deep in mud.
“There are many issues surrounding the import of these animals,” the source said.
“It started seven months ago when I was told that someone had imported monkeys. When I inquired with the veterinary services, I was told that bringing monkeys was illegal.
“I also informed the police and they said they couldn’t do anything about it.”
The source claimed documented proof had been given by the veterinary services that the import of monkeys was illegal.
“The government says they do not give licences for monkeys, but a mistake was made last year and a licence was issued for the import of one or more monkeys,” the source said.
“But that’s untrue because I saw in black and white that licences had also been issued in 2001 for four pairs of Marmoset monkeys.”
According to the source, the veterinary services admitted that the monkeys had been smuggled to the island in suitcases.
“When I asked how they could get away with bringing in the monkeys through customs without being caught, I was told the monkeys were sedated,” the source said.
“They said many died when they got here because of over-sedation due to delays when coming in. And from the way they were talking I really thought something was going to be done, but nothing was.”
The source claimed a divisional veterinary officer had said he had inspected the farm and found no monkeys.
“I phoned the man and asked him whether he went to the farm, to which he replied that he visited the farm often and that he only saw goats and two funny cats. Well, the two cats were in fact bobcats,” the source alleged.
The owner of the farm told the Sunday Mail that he was aware that the import of monkeys was illegal now, but hadn’t been when he brought them to the island.
“When the monkeys were imported, they were brought in with all the necessary licences and all the appropriate documentation,” he said.
“Later on, we discovered that the law had changed and that now we are not allowed to import monkeys, but unfortunately there are two monkeys left and we are trying to find a home for them. We will not be importing any more monkeys.”
The head of the veterinary services, Fidias Loukaides, said he was aware of the issue but that a lot had happened since the allegations first emerged.
“When we heard of that person’s allegations, we visited the farm in question and admittedly we discovered that the animals were living in very bad conditions. The owner of the farm was reprimanded and things were improved,” Loukaides said.
The veterinary chief said anyone wanting to import animals to the island first had to show they had proper facilities; then the matter would be brought before a special committee, which would decide whether to issue a licence for the specific animal.
“This doesn’t mean that we grant licences to anyone wanting to import a dangerous animal,” he said.
“If the man is advertising in the newspaper that he is selling leopards then that is very peculiar because he doesn’t have any,” Loukaides said, adding he wanted to see a copy of the paper.
He added that all farms on the island were regularly inspected. “But you can’t expect me to know everything that happens with every single inspection that takes place,” he said.
“I can assure you, however, that if we get a complaint that an animal is being ill-treated then we will take the necessary steps and will examine the situation carefully.”
The paper advertising the bobcats also carries separate small ads for ostriches and monkeys.
DIKO deputy Marios Matsakis, who also visited the farm, backed Loukaides’ comments, saying the animals’ living conditions were “OK”.
“We went and saw the animals a couple of months ago, but I wouldn’t say they were living in terrible conditions,” Matsakis said.
“The space they live in is a bit tight but it wasn’t muddy or disgusting or anything like that.”
Matsakis said he was more worried about what he described as the illegal trade of exotic animals in Cyprus.
“It is prohibited to import and trade these animals, as far as I know, but they say the monkeys were bred in Cyprus,” he said.
“If you look in the newspapers you will see advertisements for the sale of monkeys, but if you ask them they will probably say they were bred in Cyprus so they are not covered by the ban. But how do you check that something has been bred in Cyprus or if it has been imported?”
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.
