Boy, 5, attacked by lioness at Montekristo • Government to appoint inquiry into 'unacceptable case'

A five-year-old boy was injured this afternoon when a lioness at the Montekristo park attacked him. According to the police, the boy suffered slight injuries to his back and neck.

This is the second time that a child was injured at the Montekristo property: late last year, a three-year-old boy was seriously injured by a tiger that was out of its cage for a walk with its handlers.

The zoo, which is not licensed, has been closed since the November attack. A hunting fair is being held at Montekristo Estates.

In a statement, the government announced that it will be appointing an inquiry to investigate “this unacceptable case”.

Since the closure of the zoo, the authorities have visited the site on various occasions to certify that the zoo remained closed. The last inspections were held on Wednesday March 30 and Friday April 1.

The government has taken the owners to court and a case is ongoing.

“What happened today shows that the owners continue to ignore the orders of the authorities. Further action will be taken against them,” the government said.

“The government will not tolerate this situation anymore. The owners of this place think that they can take the law into their own hands. We will fight such attitude.”

A separate magisterial inquiry is also underway.

The zoo, part of the Montekristo Estates owned by Polidano Group, is sited at the Hal-Farrug grounds of the construction group, most of which is riddled with enforcement notices from the Malta Environment and Planning Authority. Charges had been filed against Charles Polidano over alleged infringements at the zoo, including breaches of the Animal Welfare Act.