The police are investigating the circumstances under which, late yesterday afternoon, a bear escaped from its enclosure in a park in the Agioi Trimithias area, in the Nicosia district.
The police were notified of the incident by the 60-year-old owner of the park shortly after 7 p.m. yesterday. According to the 60-year-old, while he was attempting to place food in the bears’ enclosure, one of them managed to escape.
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Upon receiving the initial report of the incident, police officers were immediately dispatched to address the situation and ensure public safety. Patrols from the Nicosia Police Directorate, the local police station, the Special Operations Unit (MMAD), and the Traffic Police Headquarters, as well as officials from the Game and Wildlife Service, were dispatched to the area.
The bear was spotted inside the park by the 60-year-old man, who managed to guide it back into its fenced-in enclosure a few minutes after 8 p.m.
The exact circumstances of the incident are being investigated by the Kokkinotrimithia Police Station.
Meanwhile, the Cyprus Animal Party expressed strong outrage and revulsion over the incident in a statement, describing it as “extremely serious.”
“Following a direct phone call from the Party to the Community Leader of Palaiometocho, it was fully confirmed that the wild animal managed to escape from its enclosure, posing an immediate and deadly threat to both public safety and its own life, before it was finally recaptured,” the party stated in a press release.
The Animal Party called for a full investigation of the incident, in an open letter to the Chief of Police, raising questions about the adequacy of security measures and the protection of visitors, employees, and animals. The Party did, however, welcome the police’s immediate intervention, noting, nevertheless, that a specialized technical and veterinary inspection by the relevant authorities is also required.
Among other things, the Animal Party is calling for an inspection of the fences, gates, and safety mechanisms; to ensure that any video footage is preserved; and to assess whether additional preventive measures are necessary. It also requests to be informed of the results of the investigation, to the extent permitted by law.
It also expressed the view that Melios Zoo’s statement regarding the bear’s escape not only fails to address the substantive questions that arise, but also attempts to downplay the seriousness of the incident, creating the impression that there was no substantial safety issue.
Let us recall that early Saturday evening, a commotion ensued when it was discovered that a bear had escaped from its enclosure at Melios Zoo, in the Agioi Trimithia area. Eventually, the zoo’s manager contained the animal and safely led it back to its enclosure. As the zoo later clarified, the bear never left the premises at any time.
What Melios Zoo Says
In a social media post, Melios Zoo described the incident as an isolated and unfortunate one, noting that one of the two bears temporarily left its enclosure at a time when the park was not open to visitors.
At the same time, it clarified that the bear did not at any point leave the park’s premises and that staff responded immediately, while the relevant authorities were also notified.
According to the same post, the owner led the animal back to its enclosure without anyone being endangered, and he noted that the police conducted a thorough inspection of the facilities and confirmed that everything was safe.
In conclusion, he emphasized that his priority remains the safety of visitors and the well-being of the animals in his care.
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