Yesterday's attack by a wildcat reminds us of the dangers of importing wild animals as pets, says the Movement of Ecologists - Citizens' Co-operation.
A statement stressed that a 3-year-old child was injured in his apartment by a Savannah wildcat and is being treated at a clinic in Limassol. These wildcats are a cross between a domestic cat and the African wildcat Serval. It is a cat that reaches one meter, is much larger than an ordinary cat and is not a domestic pet.
The attack on a young child by a Savannah wildcat brings to the fore again the lack of a legal framework regarding the importation of wild animals into Cyprus as pets or for display in private or public zoos.
Haris Iosifides, coordinator of the Movement's Legal Committee said that "As the Movement of Ecologists - Citizens' Co-operation, we believe that the import of wild animals poses serious risks, both to the physical integrity of unsuspecting citizens and to the animals outside their natural environment, and as a result they often become aggressive.
Furthermore, the risks involved in a potential wild animal escape are great, not only for the safety of our local flora and fauna but also for the safety of humans.
We expect the Veterinary Services, the Department of Environment and the Department of Customs to examine this incident with all seriousness and to proceed immediately to review the issue of importing wild species into Cyprus as soon as possible, in order to prevent the worst from happening."
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