Police on Thursday reported the arrest of a man caught cutting up a kangaroo in Famagusta.

Speaking to the Cyprus Mail Ioannis Ioannou, a senior official at the state Veterinary Services said the incident sparks concern over illegal animal containment facilities on the island, albeit acknowledging that no conclusions could be drawn until a full investigation had been carried out by the police.

“There are only three official and registered zoos operating legally in Cyprus and any other facilities housing exotic animals ought to have been registered by 2021,” Ioannou said.

In that year, legislation changed and the keeping of exotic species was criminalised, however, owners of such animals already on the island were then mandated to register them, so as to be able to keep them.

“It is of course extremely difficult for authorities to carry out pre-emptive checks on home premises and illegal cases generally come to light only when reported,” Ioannou explained.

The latest incident of possession of a kangaroo came to light when a tip-off led officers to the parking lot of an apartment building, where two people were cutting up the animal.

When the officers from the Dherynia police station arrived, one of the two individuals fled, while the second, a 36-year-old man, remained at the scene.

During the onsite investigation, plastic bags containing dismembered animal parts were found, as well as an axe and five knives.

When questioned, the remaining suspect stated that the animal was a kangaroo that he had received from a third party in Paralimni.

A veterinary services officer confirmed the remains were of a dismembered adult kangaroo.

The animal parts were confiscated for investigation.

The 36-year-old was taken to the Dherynia police station, where he was determined to be residing illegally in the Republic since his request for asylum had been rejected in 2022.

He was taken into custody after an arrest warrant was issued against him.

Police told Cyprus Mail that dismemberment and/or butchering of any animal is an illegal offence, as slaughterhouse hygiene protocols, as well as animal welfare regulations, are violated by this act.

While the consumption of kangaroo meat is not illegal per se the incident requires serious investigation into the origin of the animal carcass and raises health and safety concerns, the veterinary services added.

Kangaroo meat has been a staple source of protein in Australia for thousands of years and proponents have marketed it as a low-fat, high protein dietary choice.

In the EU the biggest importer of kangaroo meat is Belgium, however, a campaign to ban its consumption has been intensified over the past several years due to charges that the animals are massacred en masse in cruel and inhumane ways.