MANAMA: Authorities in Bahrain have stepped up security on the borders after inspectors found exotic wild animals caged in residential areas as pets.
Officials at the Animal Wealth Directorate at the Ministry of Municipalities and Agriculture Affairs said their inspectors found wild animals, such as lions and tigers, caged in residential areas and unauthorized animal pens.
“According to the law, these animals cannot be imported or exported without permission from an authorized body. We have tightened security on borders to check the smuggling of exotic wild animals,” an official from the Ministry of Interior said.
The decision also comes after authorities discovered a lynx, which was later shifted to the quarantine center in Buri where it died on Wednesday.
“Traders and buyers should understand that Bahrain is not the right environment for such species. It is illegal to keep them in these conditions and some wild animals, like tigers and crocodiles, endanger lives,” said Salman Abdulnabi, head of the Animal Wealth Directorate.
The official said exotic animal traders should obtain permits to import animals, rather than cage them in animal pens. “The law prescribes strict punishments for violators but we need cooperation from the public to deal with this issue in the long run,” he added.
