Animals removed from Albanian ‘zoo of hell’
Authorities force their way into a private zoo to rescue lions, deer and a bear
Albanian police have forced open cages at a private zoo and removed 12 animals, including three lions and a bear, being kept in what were described as “hellish” conditions.
Police and conservation officials “pried open the main gate at the Safari Zoo Park in Mbrostar, 100 kilometers (60 miles) south of the capital, Tirana”, reports AP. The zoo “had been closed by owners after criticism emerged about the treatment of its animals”, the news agency adds.
The zoo was visited in July by workers from Four Paws, an international animal welfare charity, who then alerted authorities.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Vets from the charity sedated 12 animals - three lions, a bear, a waterbuck, four deer, a fox, a zebra and a turtle - and transported them to Tirana’s public zoo.
“Living conditions for the animals in this zoo are absolutely horrible, it’s a hellish way of keeping animals,” Ioana Gabriela Dungler, of Four Paws, told AFP.
Four Paws spokesman Martin Bauer was quoted by The Washington Post as saying that it will try to relocate the animals to sanctuaries. “Three lions will go to our big cat center FELIDA in the Netherlands and the three-legged bear to our Bear Sanctuary Muritz in Germany,” he said.
They will also work on solutions to take the remaining animals to other places, but “only after the animals regain their health at Tirana zoo park, something which may take weeks”, says the Post.
“Lensi (one of the lions), had a serious eye infection and was at risk of going blind. He has happily been saved and is better, but they all need extra care in order to fully recover,” said Carsten Hertwing, another Four Paws worker, according to AFP.
The zoo’s owner, Petrit Osmani, who has been running the zoo for around 15 years, strongly opposed the raid.
“You don't have the right! These animals are my children, you are taking away my children!” he protested.
His lawyer, Elvis Sulejmani, told AP that the owner had filled out all the necessary documentation for the animals, and complained that authorities illegally took possession of the animals without a court verdict.
Create an account with the same email registered to your subscription to unlock access.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
-
'Make legal immigration a more plausible option'
Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
By Harold Maass, The Week US Published
-
LA-to-Las Vegas high-speed rail line breaks ground
Speed Read The railway will be ready as soon as 2028
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Israel's military intelligence chief resigns
Speed Read Maj. Gen. Aharon Haliva is the first leader to quit for failing to prevent the Hamas attack in October
By Justin Klawans, The Week US Published
-
Zoo moves parrots that swore at guests
Tall Tales And other stories from the stranger side of life
By Chas Newkey-Burden, The Week UK Published
-
Zoos offer cockroach naming and hippo poo candles
Tall Tales And other stories from the stranger side of life
By Chas Newkey-Burden, The Week UK Published
-
Puffed rice and yoga: inside the collapsed tunnel where Indian workers await rescue
Speed Read Workers trapped in collapsed tunnel are suffering from dysentery and anxiety over their rescue
By Sorcha Bradley, The Week UK Published
-
New app tells you when's the best time for a toilet break during a film
Tall Tales And other stories from the stranger side of life
By Chas Newkey-Burden, The Week UK Published
-
Gaza hospital blast: What the video evidence shows about who's to blame
Speed Read Nobody wants to take responsibility for the deadly explosion in the courtyard of Gaza's al-Ahli Hospital. Roll the tape.
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Giraffe poo seized after woman wanted to use it to make a necklace
Tall Tales And other stories from the stranger side of life
By Chas Newkey-Burden, The Week UK Published
-
Helicopter sound arouses crocodiles
Tall Tales And other stories from the stranger side of life
By Chas Newkey-Burden, The Week UK Published
-
Woman sues Disney over 'injurious wedgie'
Tall Tales And other stories from the stranger side of life
By Chas Newkey-Burden, The Week UK Published