LEOPARDS IN CYPRIOT ZOO SET FOR NEW LIFE IN A SOUTH AFRICAN SANCTUARY
- Virginia McKenna, the Director of the zoo and the Mayor of Limassol before the rescue.
The Mayor of Limassol, Mr Andreas Christou, and the Municipal Council have given the go-ahead for the rehoming of the last three big cats from the City’s zoo. The three leopards, a mother and her two daughters, have left to start a new life in the African bush, thanks to the Council's decision.
Mr Andreas Christou said: “We are sending the leopards grown in our town’s zoo off to their new host place with mixed feelings. We are deeply sorry for being separated from these animals, because they have been like our children. Dr L. Lambrou experiences mostly these sad feelings since he is the one to have raised them. However, we feel happy because our beloved “children” will find themselves in a bigger and more appropriate place. They will be back to nature, being in their own environment and their true country indeed.”
The Cypriot authorities and the Municipal Council have agreed that Limassol Zoo will be transformed in order to meet the conditions of the European Zoo Directive, a European law that requires animals to be kept in conditions that meet their biological needs.
For this purpose, major construction works will be carried out in the next year to establish proper conditions for mainly domestic animals and birds.
The Mayor asked Born Free to help to find homes for the leopards and on 30th May the leopards flew out to their new home, a three acre (1.25 hectare) natural bush enclosure at the Jean Byrd Centre, one of the Born Free Foundation’s sanctuaries, set within the award-winning Shamwari Wildlife Reserve, Eastern Cape, South Africa.
For nearly 20 years the Born Free Foundation and other animal welfare organisations have supported the work in Cyprus of local NGO, Animal Responsibility Cyprus (ARC), concerning conditions in the zoo
Born Free’s founders, Virginia McKenna OBE and her husband, the late Bill Travers, became aware of conditions at the zoo 19 years ago, after receiving letters of concern from visitors and later being contacted by ARC.
Virginia McKenna stated:” After nearly 20 years of waiting, the Limassol authorities have decided that there must be fundamental changes at this little zoo and the current Mayor has invited Born Free to re-home the last of the big cats. The leopard family - mother and two daughters – are on their way to a new life at our Jean Byrd Centre at Shamwari. Bill would have been overjoyed, as I am. He first went to see the zoo in 1990 and longed for this moment to arrive. Although it’s too late for some of the animals, for these beautiful leopards a happier future now beckons.”
While the management of Limassol Zoo has been doing the best it can within the limited facilities available, the Cypriot authorities recognised that the cramped conditions in the City zoo are unsuitable for wild animals.
It is to be hoped that this progressive and humane initiative by the Cypriot authorities will cause other countries to follow their example.
Born Free and ARC welcome this unique opportunity to rehome these animals to more natural surroundings. The leopards left Paphos Airport on 30th May on flights generously sponsored by Thomson Airways to meet a connecting flight to South Africa which left Heathrow on the morning of 31st May.
Chris Browne, Managing Director for Thomson Airways, commented: "We are a proud supporter of the Born Free charity and its mission to help wild animals. We are delighted to have been able to assist in the rehoming of this leopard family to South Africa and would like to take this opportunity to thank all our customers who have helped us raise over £2.5 million for this worthwhile charity during the past 15 years."
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