The Almuñécar Town Hall is desperately trying to cut the costs of running the Peña Escrita mountain park-cum-zoo. One measure has been to ask the circus that donated three tigers to take them back.
It appears that the Town Hall has completely given up on this bottomless pit for public funds – a couple of weeks ago they announced that the 4×4 bus, which was bought to ferry visitors up to the installations, was to be put into mothballs; i.e., permanently parked up. When you take into account that the mountain-park installations cost around 300,000 euros per annum yet only earn around 2,000 euros, you can see why. Entrance is free to visitors so the only income is earned from the leasing of the pool, restaurant and log cabins.
The first steps are to get shot of the animals in the controversial zoo part; last year it was goodbye to Oriente the white tiger, which ended up in the Jerez zoo. This measure wasn’t only an economical one, but also because the other tigers were continually attacking it, so it had to be isolated. Jerez was over the moon because their white tiger had recently died and the Almuñécar one was a direct offspring.
The three remaining tigers cost around 9,000 euros a year to keep. The previous municipal administration under Sr. Benavides had signed an open-end contract with Circus of Dreams S.L. for the tigers (Pantheras Tigris) to be ceded to the Peña Escrita installations, as part of a project for the study, conservation and breeding of these animals.
The request has been sent and the Councillor for the Environment, Luis Aragón is allowing a fortnight for a response to be received. If none is received, the Town Hall will take the ‘necessary measures,’ which doesn’t sound like a cause for partying up at the tiger enclosure.
The councillor says that it is not only a matter of funds, but of safety, as he considers the installations to be inadequate for the housing of big cats – there is also a lion up there. “The park isn’t on firm ground and if there are heavy rainfalls, the fences could give,” he explained.
As for other animals; i.e., the ones that aren’t liable to eat you, numbering around 150, the park will maintain them until a home becomes available.
(News: Almunecar, Costa Tropical, Granada, Andalucia)