Dingli zoo Serengeti regularised against €10,000 fine

The Planning Authority has officially regularised the Serengeti Animal Park in Triq Had-Dingli in Rabat, against a €10,000 fine.

The permit now sanctions four large cages for the keeping of eight tigers, three jaguars, three leopards and three lions over a 750sq.m footprint. The largest cage has a height of up to 6.4m.

The PA’s planning directorate was recommending a refusal due to objections made by the Superintendence for Cultural Heritage on illegal works carried out on the walls of an ancient quarry, but the planning commission deemed these interventions to be “minimal”. The latest plans include the sanctioning of a “recently excavated” small dog shelter.

The Environment and Resources Authority had also “strongly” objected, noting that most of the area was cleared from soil and replaced with hard landscaping. ERA had even presented aerial photos documenting the extensive changes to the site made between 1998 and 2018.

The applicant is registered with the Veterinary Regulation Division as a “dangerous animal keeper” and the animals are covered by veterinary permits.