In light of the current public consultation on the draft Legal Notice on the keeping of wild animals in zoos, Moviment Graffitti has submitted its comments and continues to reiterate its position against such zoos, whether they are regulated or not. 

“Zoos are inherently an act of cruelty against these wild animals, held captive in enclosures, which no matter how well-furnished, will never provide sufficient space for these large animals, and which fail absurdly at mimicking these animals' natural environment.” This, the NGO said, leads to depressed, anxious animals. “Depressed animals also result in dangerous animals, who are more likely to attack handlers and visitors, a lose-lose situation for all.” 

“The stated aims of the legal notice is ‘to strengthen the role of zoos in the conservationn of biodiversity, protect the health and wellbeing of wild animals and to protect the public from these animals.’ we do not see how these zoos help to conserve biodiversity; they instead send a message to the public and any children visiting that is it normal to keep wild animals locked in a cage, in unnatural conditions, and at the mercy of visitors and their handlers.” 

“Zoos do not protect the health and well-being of animals; holding animals in captivity for people's entertainment is purely exploitative and is only in the interest of those who are making a profit off of these animals.” 

Moviment Graffitti said that zoos also contribute to the further eradication of ODZ in Malta, as these enclosures are often developed on ODZ land. “Not only do they contribute to environmental degradation, but neighbouring farmers who work their agricultural land must also put up with the negative consequences of these zoos, dealing with leakages of unwanted materials into their fields.” 

Moviment Graffitti condemns the opening of any new zoos. “However, any zoos that do exist must be regulated to the highest standards, and therefore, the organization has submitted a number of comments to the draft Legal Notice in order to help safeguard these animals' existence, as well as for the safety and well-being of the people who visit them.” 

“We urge the public to also submit their feedback to this draft Legal Notice in order to make your voices heard on this issue, and to offer a voice for the poor animals who have to suffer this exploitation.”