Greece rapped over its zoos

Page last updated at 07:58 GMT, Thursday, April 26, 2012 - 12:58 EST

eKathimerini:

A bear crouches against a wall in its enclosure at Thessaloniki Zoo.

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Of the 14 zoos currently in operation in Greece, just one -- the Attica Zoological Park in Spata, north of Athens -- is properly licensed and meets European regulations regarding the upkeep of animals in captivity, the Arcturos animal welfare society revealed on April 25.

In a 39-page report that was drafted with the cooperation of numerous experts, as well as Endcap, a pan-European coalition of groups acting against animal captivity, and the UK-based Born Free Foundation, Arcturos stressed the need for clearer legislation defining and governing the operation of facilities where wild animals are kept in captivity for the purpose of public display or breeding.

The report was part of a presentation made at the European Commission in Brussels on April 24 by Endcap and the Born Free Foundation -- with Arcturos reporting on conditions in Greece -- summing up the results of a comprehensive investigation into the licensing and performance of zoos across Europe.

Read the whole story: eKathimerini