The Animal Rights Foundation has made a formal request to the Ministry of Environment and Spatial Planning to find out what measures are being taken on the Lion’s case held at Maja e Zeze restaurant in Gjilan.
The Ministry of Environment is mandated to be responsible for every wildlife animal that enters Kosovo, so that’s why we have reacted with our request. With this part of our request shared bellow, you can find out the current state of the institutional measures taken (and not taken) on the lion case:
1.1.On November 20, a large number of people have shared on social media the news that in the town of Gjilan / Gnjilane, the village of Livoq i Ulët, the resort – restaurant “Maja e Zeze” is keeping isolated a lion in a cage. Following the reaction of the Foundation, the officials of the Food and Veterinary Agency of the Republic of Kosovo (hereinafter referred to as “KFVA”), respectively the KFVA information spokesperson, Mr. Lami Thaci, in a statement for the Koha.net media, stated that the KVFA has no indication that the lion was subject to customs control. Also, Kosovo Customs spokesman, Mr. Adriatic Stavileci has stated for the same medium that there is no evidence that the lion has been subject to customs control. He also stated that there is a possibility that the lion might have been smuggled.
Proof: The article “The lion who is being held in the cage of a restaurant in Gjilan is suspected to have been smuggled” published on 21.11.2019 by Koha.net.
For an English article, please read: https://prishtinainsight.com/lion-discovered-caged-in-gjil…/
1.2. As we have received information from the KVFA, the same after an inspection at the resort – restaurant Maja Zezë in Gjilan, have concluded that the lion’s holder in question does not possess any documentation proving that the lion was legally introduced into the Republic of Kosovo. and according to them, the competent institutions should take the appropriate measures.
1.3. As officials of the KVFA and Kosovo Customs officials have stated on 21.11.2019, and as we have recently received information from the KVFA, there is suspicion that the lion in question has been illegally imported into the Republic of Kosovo.
2. LEGAL BASIS FOR ACCESS TO PUBLIC DOCUMENTS
2.1. Initially it should be emphasized that the reason that we are approaching the Ministry of Environment and Spatial Planning (hereinafter referred to as “the Ministry”) for access to public documents is that under Law no. 03 / L-233 on Nature Protection (hereinafter referred to as the “Law on Nature Protection”) as well as on the basis of Administrative Instruction no. 26/2012 on Transboundary Movement and Trade in Protected Wild Species (hereinafter referred to as “Administrative Instruction No. 26/2012”) The Ministry is the competent body with which permission should be obtained to import a wild animal into the Republic of Kosovo. .
2.2. Therefore, the issue of import of wildlife in the Republic of Kosovo is regulated in detail by the Law on Nature Protection and Administrative Instruction No. 26/2012. Article 101, paragraph 1, in conjunction with Article 7, paragraph 1, sub-paragraph 1.27 of the Law on Nature Protection, expressly provides that the Ministry is the competent authority to issue a decision on whether or not a wild animal may or may not to enter the Republic of Kosovo.
This decision of the Ministry shall be taken after the entity wishing to import a wild animal in the Republic of Kosovo submits the application for permission to import such animal. The procedure for submitting an application for a permit to import wildlife such as a lion is provided for in Article 36 of Administrative Instruction no. 26/2012. In Article 36, paragraph 2 of Administrative Instruction no. 26/2012 it is provided that the application for an import permit must be submitted to the Ministry prior to the importation of wildlife.
2.3. In Administrative Instruction no. 26/2012, referred to in Article 101, paragraph 4 of the Law on Nature Protection, are attached the list of animals which are protected and for which import is prohibited or restricted. In this specific case it is important to note that in Annex I and Annex VI it is specified that even the lion or as it is scientifically known as Panthera leo persica or Panthera leo, is a protected wildlife.
2.4. In addition to the permit to be provided by the Ministry, in case of import of Panthera leo or Panthera leo persica animals, the importer must also notify the customs service. If the animal being imported into the Republic of Kosovo is a protected wild species, the permit shall be presented to the customs service, which must be obtained in advance by the Ministry.
2.5. The importer of a wild animal is obliged to notify the Ministry of importation even if the wildlife does not belong to the group of protected wildlife. In Article 11 of Administrative Instruction no. 26/2012, imposes an obligation on the importer to follow the customs procedure even if the animal entering the Republic of Kosovo is not expressly provided for in Annexes I to X.
2.6. It is undisputed that the person who imported the lion, which is located in the resort – restaurant Maja i Zezë, had to undergo legal procedures for importing such animal into the territory of the Republic of Kosovo. As the Foundation for the Protection of Animal Rights was established, it is therefore essential that it be granted access to public documents, namely to be informed of the actions taken so far by the Ministry. concerning the ascertainment of the legality of the import of the lion concerned, and to provide them with all the official documentation concerning the action taken.
