Melios Zoo has been operating as a “farm” since it opened 26 years ago, despite the fact that it is home to wild animals, one of which – a bear – escaped on Saturday, although owner Menelaos Menelaou insists it did not.

Menelaou told Sigma TV that the establishment has a licence to operate as a farm and not a zoo, and has been listed as a farm since it opened in 2000.

He said that for over 20 years the veterinary services had been “misinforming” ministers and commissioners over the status of the zoo, and called on the president and attorney-general to intervene, as “the animals arrived in Cyprus legally and have been inspected.”

When the bear “walked out” on Saturday, Menelaou said the police were called in as a precaution and explained that the bear never left the enclosure and was outside its cage for about an hour from around 7pm, after visitors had gone.

On Sunday, Animal Welfare Commissioner Elias Myrianthous said authorities should already have enforced court rulings against Melios Zoo, over animal welfare laws and regulations.

The commissioner said that the bear being found outside its cage on Saturday evening confirmed all concerns raised over the years and called for more systematic inspections.

The zoo has been in dispute with the state for years, for on April 9 a court confirmed that the park breached safety rules and had no valid permit.