Eleven animals rescued from a zoo described as "hell"

The Albanian authorities dismantled a private zoo Sunday to save eleven animals, including lions and a bear that were kept in "hellish" living conditions according to NGOs. After the refusal of the owner of this zoo Fier, a hundred kilometers south of Tirana, to open, the police broke down the doors, allowing veterinarians to access to sleep animals and prepare them for transportation to the Tirana Zoo.

"The living conditions for the animals in this zoo are absolutely horrible (…) it's an infernal way to keep animals," said before the operation Ioana Gabriela Dungler, an official of the International Defense Organization Vier Pfoten (Four Legged) animals. "They are all unhappy, they all show signs of physiological distress." In view of the hygienic conditions, they all have serious health problems, "says Jeta Lepaja, of the same organization, who deplores the absence of any" imitation of the natural habitat "of these animals in the establishment.

⛔ #NoMoreFierZoo
You are in the same category, you are in the same category, you are in the same category! Zoo in Fier (Albanian) bereits gerettet wurden … Aber die Realität ist, dbad die Tiere NACH WIE VOR im Zoo leiden und dringend unsere Hilfe brauchen! Wir geben unser Bestes! pic.twitter.com/2XQtkyYgsv

– VIER PFOTEN (@VIERPFOTEN) October 18, 2018

The owner of the zoo threatens to lodge a complaint. The owner of the zoo, opened about fifteen years ago, Petrit Osmani, strongly protested against the action of the authorities. "You have no right, these animals are my children, you deprive me of my children!" He protested. He said he would file a complaint for violation of private property. The zoo was visited in July by representatives of the Four Paws organization who sounded the alarm. "Lensi (one of the three lions) had a serious eye infection and he was at risk of becoming blind, he was happily saved and he gets better, but they all need extra care to be fully recovered," Carsten said. Hertwing, another head of the organization.
The lions will go to the Netherlands, the bear will be welcomed in Germany. In addition to the three lions, about fifteen years old, Lensi, Jeaque and Bobi, a bear and a zebra, several deer, antelopes and foxes shared the same fate. After a temporary pbadage through the zoo of Tirana where they will be treated, the three lions will be transported to the Netherlands to be placed in an establishment imitating their natural habitat. The bear will be welcomed in Germany.