The shipment of three wild big cats headed for Mykonos has caused an uproar with animal rights groups in Greece.
On Tuesday one animal rights group called for a judicial investigation into a shipment of two lions and a tiger that was allowed to pass through customs in northern Greece. The three wild cats were destined for the party island of Mykonos.
The call for the inquiry came after state broadcaster ERT reported the discovery by customs officers at the Promachonas border crossing in northern Greece of the three big cats, which were packed into three separate cages in a truck traveling from Slovenia.
On Monday, a report by ERT claimed that customs officers allowed the cargo to pass through after it was determined that the accompanying documents certifying the ownership of the three exotic animals were valid.
This caused an outrage with animal rights groups, and on Tuesday the Panhellenic Animal Welfare and Environmental Organization demanded an investigation into the use the animals are destined for. They also asked if owning exotic and potentially dangerous animals such as these is legal in Greece.
Last month four member-states of the European Union — Cyprus, Lithuania, Luxembourg and Malta — submitted a proposal for a ban on people keeping dangerous or endangered animals as pets.
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