Authorities investigate bear escape at Melios Zoo in Nicosia

On the evening of October 10, 2026, a bear briefly escaped its enclosure at Melios Zoo, located in the Agioi Trimithias area of the Nicosia district. The facility's 60-year-old owner, Menelaos Menelaou, reported the incident to police shortly after 7 p.m. Law enforcement, including the Mobile Immediate Action Unit and the Game and Fauna Service, was dispatched to the scene, though the owner managed to secure the animal and return it to its enclosure by 8 p.m. while visitors were absent.

Contradictory reports surround the event: while the zoo owner maintains the animal never left the wider park premises, official warnings were initially issued to residents of Paleometocho and surrounding areas to exercise caution. Following the incident, the Animal Party Cyprus demanded the zoo's immediate closure, citing alleged past violations of animal welfare laws. Commissioner for the Environment and Animal Welfare, Ilias Myrianthous, joined calls for stricter inspections and the enforcement of existing court rulings against the facility. Conversely, the owner claims the zoo operates legally as a farm and has never received official complaints regarding safety standards. Investigations by the Kokkinotrimithia Police Station remain ongoing.