The Department of Forests in Cyprus has signed a €17,000 contract for the construction and installation of 75 animal escape ramps at reservoirs across the island. This initiative comes after a series of tragic incidents where wild and stray animals drowned after becoming trapped due to steep or slippery reservoir banks. The project represents the first large-scale effort to provide dedicated escape infrastructure at public reservoirs.

Agriculture Minister Maria Panayiotou had previously urged inspections and called on private reservoir owners to install escape ramps and maintain proper fencing following similar animal safety concerns reported earlier in the year. The Department of Forests, which will supervise the installation work, expects the ramps to be in place within two months. These ramps are designed to allow animals to climb out safely, preventing exhaustion and drowning.

The initiative has been welcomed as a necessary measure to protect wildlife and stray animals, addressing growing public concern. Meanwhile, calls for further investigations continue after reports of dogs found dead in a water tank in Astromeritis.