A Dead Horse was left in a Dumpster in Marsa

On Thursday it was reported that the carcass of a horse was left at a WasteServ dumpsite in Marsa. The legs of the horse could evidently be seen poking of the dumpster. Apparently, the dumpsite is commonly used to dispose animal carcasses and is in fact a standard routine. There have been claims that the horse died from natural causes and was not abused, however, this kind of siting is undoubtedly extremely unsettling and many will argue that it is inhumane. It is understandable that animal owners have to get rid of carcasses one way or another but it seems unnecessary to do so so publicly. 

Furthermore, although it was reported that the horse was not a victim of animal abuse, it is hard to believe so with the past few news headlines about horses had suffered from being overworked at dangerously high temperatures. Back in August, a number of horses had collapsed in the middle of the street , with one horse that sadly succumbed to the sky high temperatures. The autopsy published by Clint Camilleri revealed that : 

Necropsy confirmed the combination of excessive heat, heavy loads & the steep route contributed to the death of the karozzin (carriage) horse. Animal Welfare just issued a kwerela (complaint) for mistreatment against the owner. Animal abuses will not be tolerated.

There have been various petitions to put a stop to tourist oriented horse carriages, most notably around the Valletta area but alas, one can still find a carriage or two strutting around despondently. 

Surprisingly, after such exposure of animal abuse, there have been no laws put into place to prevent such heartbreaking news from ever occurring again. Naturally, the public have been extremely vocal about this shocking news and hopefully more movements can finally put a stop to this madness. Until then, the more exposure these animals have, the greater their chances are for a better life. 

Is Malta an unfit habitat for the new and extremely rare 'golden tiger'?

     Malta is not very well known for hosting exotic species as can be seen by the lack of zoos and animal reserves. So it comes as a surprise and an eyebrow-raiser when exotic species are reported. On Saturday news surfaced that an extremely rare species of tiger, also known as ‘the golden tiger’ was born and bred in Malta as well as currently living at the island sanctuary known as Noah’s Ark in Siggiewi. The tiger, also known as Johanna has a strawberry coat, making her stand out. It is unclear whether the sanctuary hopes to keep Johanna in Malta, however as most animal lovers will argue, Malta is not the right place to keep such exotic, beautiful creatures, regardless in the wild or in captivity. 

    This is not the first time news has surfaced about exotic animals being held in unnatural habitats in Malta. Back in 2016, images of a beautiful baby cub surfaced the web, gaining traction among the Maltese. At the time, majority of the public were unaware that ‘zoo’ was in fact illegal. The Montekristo Animal Park hosted numerous tigers, lions and jaguars that were undoubtedly living in conditions not deemed fit for animals their size. Once this was learnt among the public, the animal park was shut down and left in a limbo-like state without contingency plans for the animals. A spokesman of the park owner said : 

                     One of the first things we did was to start trying to find somewhere to put 

                     these animals, but it hasn’t been easy. It’s not like we can move them to 

                     government facilities; we’re talking about tigers, not cattle.

Thus, with such previous history when it comes to exotic animal wildlife, Malta can be seen as a less than adequate habitat. There is still plenty of information pertaining to Johanna and the animal sanctuary that is yet to be published. However, one thing is for certain, there are and will be numerous animal lovers such as myself demanding answers and updates regarding the famous golden tiger’s welfare. 

More information can be found at : 

https://lovinmalta.com/lifestyle/pets/1-in-30-one-of-the-rarest-animals-in-the-world-is-in-si%C4%A1%C4%A1iewi

https://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20161204/local/tigers-and-lions-stuck-in-montekristo-limbo.632789

https://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20180727/local/polidano-cleared-of-montekristo-zoo-tiger-attack-handler-found-guilty.685416

Invasive aliens are threatening life in the Mediterranean Sea

More often than not, many people initially have a certain kind of perception when it comes to aliens. In the environment world, invasive aliens are a type of species that grow and multiply in the wild which is not their natural habitat. This occurs accidentally or deliberately. 

Similar to popular preconceived notions of aliens, this invasive species can be dangerous and extremely harmful to ecosystems and people. An example of this could be seen with the arise of red crayfish spreading at a rapid rate. An article from the Times of Malta said : 

         Environmentalist Alan Deidun has warned that red crayfish, an invasive species 
         which “wreaks havoc” on freshwater species, is “spreading like hell". 
         Professor Deidun said the EU had listed the red crayfish as one of the most 
         invasive freshwater ones, and was calling upon Member States to take action.

An alien species of puffer fish was present in the Mediterranean sea in 2004 and last caught in Gnejna Bay has been responsible for a number of deaths. The fish has a poisonous venom that spreads throughout a majority of the body and can induce mild to serious symptoms such as vomiting, nausea, abdominal pain, headaches, muscular paralysis of the limbs and cardiac arrest. The rise in illness and death is largely due to unawareness of such creatures. 

With more regular sightings of such creatures, The Environment and Resources Authority, The University of Malta and various other institutes have now come together to strategise a solution. Most recently, the ERA announced eight complementary codes of good practice to aid the situation, as well as a campaign. The campaign 'Spot the Alien Fish' is controlled by the Department of Geosciences at the University of Malta. 

It must be kept in mind that although these creatures can prove to be harmful, it is extremely unnecessary to harm them. A number of strategies have been in the works to tackle the situation in a way that does not further harm the ecosystem as well as these creatures. Thus, it is of utmost importance to be informed and aware about where the food we consume comes from. 

http://www.independent.com.mt/articles/2018-11-23/local-news/Toxic-fish-caught-once-again-in-Maltese-waters-6736199777
https://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20181205/local/invasive-aliens-in-environment-authoritys-crosshairs.695958

A new animal abuse law has raised critical life questions and given hope to devoted animal lovers

A new animal abuse law has raised critical life questions and given hope to devoted animal lovers .

Over the past few decades, there has been an increase in publicly chained dogs. Whether it may be family rules or pure convenience, there have been an outrageous number of tethered dogs in unlivable conditions. The animals would often experience no water or food, but the scorching mediterranean sun and solitude for countless hours on end and many times, even days. 

The latest law issued pertaining animal welfare should put a stop to this abuse. As announced at a press conference at the Ministry for Sustainable Development, Environment, and Climate Change, chaining of dogs is now illegal. Although it has taken two years to finally put the law into practice, there is more hope for the safety of these animals and also better living conditions. 

The public are extremely pleased with this new legislation, voicing their opinions that this has been long overdue and a step in a new direction. Some however are sceptical that there will be any improvement to the situation as can be seen in the comments section of an article on The Independent pertaining to the topic. Michael Walter says :

                    [it is] Up to the public now, to do their bit by reporting any cases they see.

Whilst J. Kerr says :

          

                   Good. What about dogs permanently living on rooftops? It is a malpractice

                   that clearly affects dogs and neighbours. It should be done away with.

Chained dogs are only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to animal abuse. There are numerous of other mistreatments that are not so public, which only makes such situations harder to obliterate.  However, the announcement of the new law highlights that animals are increasingly being acknowledged more humanely. Only time will tell whether a positive change will occur.  



http://www.independent.com.mt/articles/2018-10-05/local-news/Permanently-chaining-dogs-is-now-illegal-6736197343

Introducing : Guardians of the Animals


My name is Amy and from a young age, I have always felt a connection with animals. The notion that innocent creatures are helpless breaks my heart. Many often view animals as simply vessels, however, this is most definitely not the case. They understand more than we think, sometimes understand more than we do at all. They are the purest of pure. Everyday there are more heartwrenching news and stories about abused animals who cannot stand up for themselves. Malta especially is in critical condition when it comes to animal welfare with unmanageable amounts of puppies, kittens and many other animals. Whether these animals are in desperate need of finding a home, shelter or food, the situation is extremely saddening. Thus, this blog is an intention to keep animals out of harms-way through regular updates of information about dangerous threats and also act as a voice for the voiceless.