Irregular Siggiewi zoo exempted from impact assessment

The Environment and Resources Authority has exempted a bid to regularise the irregularly developed Arka ta’ Noe zoo in Siggiewi, because its impacts “are unlikely to be significant to the point of warranting further studies”.

Describing the development as “an erratic commitment of rural land without due consideration to other environmental impacts” it added that the development was not to be “recommended.”

The ERA has also warned that “the commercial aspect of the project may lend itself to the sprawl of infrastructure in the area.”

The Arka ta’ Noe zoo, which includes a white lion, two Siberian tigers, a black panther, monkeys, zebras, reindeer and emus, was irregularly developed over a 10,565 square metre site – the area of two football grounds – in a site known as Ta’ Bur ix-Xewk in Siggiewi, which is surrounded by an Area of High landscape value and near to a proposed Area of Ecological Importance between Wied il-Kbir and Wied Xkora.

The site was previously occupied by arable land.

The zoo produces 10 litres a day of carnivore waste which will have to be disposed of either in an official landfill or at the Marsa incinerator.

The zoo owners claim their facility has therapeutic properties. “It has been observed that the inclusion and interaction of animals with patients has led to improvements in the latter’s quality of life, ranging from mobility difficulties to mental health related issues,” the owners say.

Zoo owner Anton Cutajar intends setting up a company specifically to run the facility in a “professional manner”. 

The land on which the zoo is located is earmarked as agricultural land by the local plan, but a Project Development Statement presented last year argues that what the zoo offers is more valuable than crops, invoking a spiritual justification for sanctioning the illegalities.

“One may argue that the proposed therapeutic zoo does not produce anything for human consumption. However this is a case whereby one needs to redefine what is a produce for human consumption? And what bears a higher value? Receiving therapy is consuming a service and in the same way that good quality food heals, so does good quality therapy, food which nourishes both the body and the soul”. 

History of planning irregularities

The zoo is located outside the development zones (ODZ) and has a car park, and a 300 square metre farmhouse to house the zookeeper and offer catering for visitors. 

The site where the zoo is located was originally used as agricultural land, half of which was fallow. After 1988, the site was transformed into a cow farm without any planning permission. In 2009, MEPA issued an enforcement order against the construction of a garage, adjacent rooms and excavation works done without a permit.  

In 2010 an application to regularise horse stables and a pool for horses, manure clamp, cages and a girna, was refused by the MEPA. An appeal is pending before the Environment and Planning Review Tribunal.