The Animal Welfare Directorate has granted Montekristo Estate a zoo licence valid until October 2027, despite the establishment's longstanding history of controversy, illegalities and animal welfare concerns, Momentum said Saturday.

The decision raises serious questions about the government's commitment to animal welfare and, in particular, its own electoral manifesto, the party added in a statement.

In its 2026 electoral manifesto, the Labour Party pledged that no new zoo licences would be issued for facilities keeping dangerous animals, that dangerous animals would not be replaced when they die, and that such animals would gradually disappear from Malta's zoos.

Katya Compagno, executive member of Momentum, said: "How does granting a zoo licence to Montekristo fit with these commitments? The government must explain how this decision is consistent with the direction it promised voters it would take on animal welfare."

Momentum is also concerned about the wider issue of regulatory enforcement and the apparent acceptance of a culture in which development takes place without the necessary permits, only for operators to seek retrospective regularisation afterwards.

The Planning Authority recently approved further development at L-Arka ta' Noè Zoo in Siġġiewi, including the regularisation of unauthorised structures and additional facilities. A similar pattern has also been evident at Montekristo, where unauthorised developments have previously been regularised retrospectively.

Both Montekristo and L-Arka ta' Noè have histories that raise serious questions about regulatory oversight and accountability. Montekristo's operator was convicted in 2021 of offences including operating an illegal zoo, failing to register animals and causing unnecessary animal suffering. Meanwhile, L-Arka ta' Noè has repeatedly sought to regularise unauthorised structures and extensions, with further irregularities now approved by the Planning Authority.

These cases raise serious concerns about how Malta protects animal welfare and enforces its planning laws. How can the public be expected to trust that these operators will respect the rules in the future, when their track records raise concerns about compliance? What guarantees are there that further irregularities will not simply be allowed to take place, only for the operators to seek retrospective regularisation once again?

Compagno added: "Animal welfare cannot be treated as a public relations exercise or a promise made during an election campaign. If the government genuinely believes that dangerous wild animals should gradually disappear from Malta's zoos, it must demonstrate that commitment through its decisions and the way it regulates these establishments. The government must now answer a simple question: was the manifesto a commitment, or just a campaign slogan?