Text: Lions, bears removed from gangsters property
Author: New Zealand Herald
Text type: Article
The article “Lions, bears removed from gangster’s property” highlights the actions of a gang leader named Ion Blaint aka “Nutzu the Pawnbroker”. Blaint is indicted for leading a criminal gang later resulting in the removal of his four lions and two bears. Unconfirmed reports suggested that Blaint would use his animals to intimidate rivals. This cruel, power hunger act left me feeling irritated. It made me think of the acts people would do in order achieve a higher role in society or just to simply impress others. The statement made by his family and neighbours describing Blaint as a “good neighbour and an animal lover” made me laugh. You would think that an “animal lover” would do simply that care for animals; However Blaints actions have suggested the total opposite of that with Livia Cimpoeru, a Vier Pfoten spokeswoman saying “The lions are a status symbol for him”. I also believe that the media/author has taken the wrong approach with this article, having to heavily focused on Ions shenanigans rather than the animal cruelty aspect of the incident. I feel as though the media has spent more time describing Blaint “a stocky man with a moustache and a receding hairline, often appears dressed in T-shirts and tracksuits” than actually discussing the real issue of the illegally held animals. It was relieving however to see mentioned in the closing paragraphs that the animals