No valid reason to criticise Paphos zoo

I am not an unwavering supporter of zoos – I know they are a business – but I thought Linda Le Blanc’s attack on Paphos Zoo (Sunday Mail, August 23) was unreasonable, somewhat high handed, and rather self-important, calling for various papers and licences to be presented to her.

No, zoos may not be universally popular, but they do serve a number of purposes, not least in featuring animals unlikely to be otherwise seen by many of us; undertaking research of real value; and nurturing specific breeds in danger of becoming extinct.

There has never been valid criticism of this particular zoo, which appears to be very well managed and sensitively presented to the public in Cyprus.  There may be some current administrative hurdles to be overcome, but these are not going to be beyond resolution.

The owner and director of the zoo is highly experienced, caring, clearly responsible, and very careful about the way he has been running this operation for many years.  Have Linda and her Green Party colleagues actually spent any quality time visiting there?  Have they any genuine grounds for so slamming its activities?  It seems to me they would be far better occupied in continually attacking the appalling issue of bird slaughter in Cyprus, which involves millions of entirely defenceless creatures being cruelly killed for illegal profit. The hunting season has just opened and we are now yet again being exposed to loud bangs all over the countryside, and virtually wanton destruction of wildlife.  Moreover, Linda and her friends could also productively turn their gaze on the dreadful way in which all too  many hunting dogs are simply abandoned if they prove to be unworthy of their tasks.

Please, Linda, be less of a panjandrum, verging on the pompous, and more of a realist, by recognising that Paphos zoo is actually well run, providing a sensible and contributive public service and facility of real interest to very large numbers of residents and visitors alike.

Clive Turner, Paphos

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.