September 15, 2020 - Split is on its way to becoming a 'Smart City' as the Split Mayor opens new charging stations for electric cars. 

Split.hr reports that at the intersection of Domovinskog rata and Varazdinska ulica, the mayor of Split, Andro Krstulovic Opara, and the president of the Management Board of Hrvatska elektroprivreda, Frane Barbaric, officially put into operation a new charging station for electric cars. The honor of charging the first electric car at this jubilee, 200th ELEN charging station in Croatia, went to the mayor of Split.

"Publicly available charging stations on Simiceva Street and Brodarica, then the one we put into operation today, are just part of the electric charging stations for cars that are coming to the Split area, and there will be as many as 22 by the end of the year. A smart city is our concept for Split's future, where the electrification of traffic is a significant segment of development. This is a strong step towards that goal. This is a pledge of the green future of Split and a pledge of smart development of the city in the future," said Krstulovic Opara.

HEP leader Frane Barbaric stated that the investment cycle of setting up charging stations in Split, as well as in Split-Dalmatia County, is currently worth over 12 million kuna. Barbaric especially thanked the Mayor of Split and the City of Split's competent services for the successful implementation of the e-mobility project. Split-Dalmatia County prefect Blazenko Boban also expressed satisfaction with HEP's plans for the electrification of road traffic, saying that other investments in the field of energy development of Dalmatia and the islands are by no means negligible.

The HEP charging station that opened on Monday is 50 kW; it was set up based on an agreement between HEP and the City of Split and has three standard connections that can be used by all electric vehicles currently on the market. HEP financed the installation of 200 ELEN filling stations throughout Croatia with its own funds and funds from EU funds.

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As Poslovni Dnevnik writes on the 14th of September, 2020, Split-Dalmatia County Prefect Blazenko Boban, President of the Management Board of Hrvatska elektroprivreda Frane Barbaric and Mayor of Split Andro Krstulovic Opara put the jubilee 200th HEP electric car charger in Split into operation. The new electric car charger in Split is located in the car park at the intersection of Varazdinska Ulica (Varazdin street) and Ulica Domovinskog rata (Homeland war street).

HEP's network of ELEN car chargers covers the area of ​​all 20 counties and the City of Zagreb, as well as all motorways and other important road routes across Croatia, city centres and tourist destinations, including several islands. At HEP's electric car charger stations, more than 400 electric cars can be charged at the same time, ie half of all of the registered electric cars in Croatia.

"Our charging station network enables all Croatian drivers, users of electric cars, to travel unhindered to any destination in Croatia. In the last year alone, we've set up more than a hundred electric car charger stations. And this is an indicator of how much we've accelerated the realisation of investments in HEP. Thanks to such an approach, we estimate that this year, we'll have a record realisation of investments, over 4 billion kuna,'' said Frane Barbaric, President of the Management Board of Hrvatska elektroprivreda d.d.

The ELEN car charger station in Split, with a total power of 93 kW, enables the simultaneous charging of two cars. The electric car charger has all three standardised ports so that it can be used by all available electric vehicles on the market. In addition to this charging station, HEP, in cooperation with the City of Split, has set up charging stations on Ulica Antuna Branka Simica and Put Brodarice. Based on the signed cooperation agreement, another 22 charging stations for electric vehicles will also be set up.

"The City of Split is a green city that wants to be part of a green society, and the installation of electric car charger stations in the city is part of that idea. Also, this isn't possible without cooperation with various stakeholders in the Republic of Croatia, and HEP is one of the most important of them all. These three newly opened chargers, as well as an additional 22 that will be put into operation by the end of the year, are a pledge for even better cooperation between HEP ​​and the City of Split in other areas, primarily on development projects that are part of Smart City direction in which we want to go,'' said Andro Krstulovic Opara, Mayor of the City of Split.

In addition to the 200th electric car charger in Split, the wider Split-Dalmatia County, HEP has so far set up a total of 19 electric car charger stations, including two on the nearby islands of Hvar and three on Brac, with plans to set up another 27, including two on the island of Vis. In total, this investment cycle of installing electric car charger stations in Split-Dalmatia County is worth 12 million kuna.

"With the most hydroelectric power plants in its area, Split-Dalmatia County has always been at the forefront in the use of renewable energy sources in Croatia. A further step forward was made on Vis, where, thanks to the solar power plant, the island became self-sustaining in regard to energy. I'm glad that HEP is going in that direction on the island of Hvar as well. In addition, thanks to HEP, we have the opportunity to be among the leaders in terms of infrastructure for electric vehicles,'' said Blazenko Boban, Prefect of Split-Dalmatia County.

HEP financed the installation of the 200th ELEN car charger in Split, as well as the previous ones, throughout Croatia with its own funds and funds from EU funds through the EAST-E, NEXT-E and bigEVdata projects. The use of HEP's ELEN stations is still free, and the commercialisation of services will follow after all the possibilities of customer service have been tested and billing models have been developed. HEP strongly promotes the concept and concrete advantages of e-mobility, as it is an indispensable part of Croatia's energy transition towards a low-carbon society and one of the key parts of the European Green Plan.

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September the 13th, 2020 - Booking.com is, along with AirBnB, one of the most frequently used platforms for reserving private accommodation when going on holiday. Unfortunately, the leading company's Split office is set to close its doors as a result of the negative economic consequences caused by the spread of the new coronavirus.

The ongoing coronavirus pandemic has dealt a heavy blow to the travel and tourism industry on a global scale, and countries like Croatia, which rely very heavily on that industry as one of their most important economic branches, have been hit hard indeed. As much as 20 percent of Croatia's GDP is made up from travel and tourism, and as the virus continues to spread, difficult decisions need to be made.

As Poslovni Dnevnik writes on the 12th of September, 2020,  Booking.com, one of the world's leading online platforms for booking accommodation across the globe has decided to put the key in the lock of its Split office, as reported by Dalmatian portal Slobodna Dalmacija.

The news was officially confirmed to Slobodna Dalmacija on Friday from the company's headquarters in the City of Zagreb. The closing of Booking.com's Split office has been rumoured for days among a large army of Split-based landlords and tourist workers of all kinds, who have been surrounding by Booking.com for years in their own respective lines of tourism work.

''In August, we announced that due to the devastating impact of the COVID-19 crisis, we will be forced to reduce the number of our employees globally. Unfortunately, we can confirm that the employees in our Split office are also affected by the announced changes in business,'' Slobodna Dalmacija was told from Booking.com through their PR agency Dialog-komunikacije.

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September 10, 2020 - The latest news for flights to Croatia as Condor ends traffic to Split Airport. 

Croatian Aviation reports that Condor, a German leisure airline, will finish operating in September to its only destination in Croatia this summer season - Split Airport. The Frankfurt-Split route has two flights announced in October, but the probability of their realization is quite small.

On June 12, the company launched traffic to Split with three international routes, from Frankfurt, Dusseldorf and Hanover, available with two flights a week.

Before the outbreak of the pandemic, this leisure airline regularly flew from German airports to Rijeka, Zadar, Split and Dubrovnik, but in this year's summer flight schedule, Condor flew only to Split Airport.

The company made its last flight on the Hannover - Split route on Sunday, August 30, and it is no longer on offer in this year's summer flight schedule.

The Split - Dusseldorf route operated twice a week, on Fridays and Sundays, and the last flight on this route was announced for Sunday, September 13.

In June, Condor first launched the Split-Frankfurt route, which is currently announced throughout September. The company offers direct flights on this route every Friday and Sunday, until September 27. A320 aircraft were used on all routes to Croatia, while the Frankfurt-Split route was an exception, and occasionally used larger aircraft (A321, B757).

On the route from Frankfurt, the company also has two direct flights on sale in October (October 11 and October 25), but the probability that these flights will be canceled is high.

Condor has announced its preliminary flight schedule for next summer’s season and it has announced the three mentioned routes to Split Airport. No resumption of traffic to other airports in Croatia has been announced yet.

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September 9, 2020 - The oldest international film festival in Croatia - Split Film Festival / International New Film Festival, will hold its 25th jubilee edition this September, despite the coronavirus pandemic.

In accordance with the current recommendations for protection against coronavirus, film lovers will be able to enjoy screenings in the open, announced the Split Film Festival on its website.

The festival will be held from September 10 to 17, and the central part of the program will be located in the pleasant ambiance of the Bacvice Open Air Cinema. Due to the coronavirus pandemic, many famous film festival friends will not be able to visit Split, so the audience will be able to enjoy their company online. Among them is the winner of this year's special award for an outstanding contribution to the art of moving images - Mexican director Carlos Reygadas.

The backbone of the festival this year is the international competition of feature and short films, notably the award-winning Taiwanese drama RIZI / Days (directed by Tsai Ming-liang) and the documentary Land of my Father (directed by Matthew J Koshmrl), which brings to the screen the unresolved trauma of the Japanese occupation of Korea and the way it reflected on the lives of the peasants.

The accompanying program includes the documentary Be Natural: The Untold Story of Alice Guy-Blache (Pamela B Green), which sheds light on the intriguing story of the forgotten first female director and producer of more than a thousand films, whose achievements have so far been completely erased from of the dominant macho historical narrative.

Honoring the recent death of Bekim Sejranovic, the festival program also includes the film From Tokyo to Morava (Moku Teraoka), whose central character is Bekim.

The audience will have the opportunity to hang out with two favorite actresses from Split. Marija Skaricic arrives in Bacvice in the main role of the Swiss-Croatian film Mare (Andrea Staka) in which she embodies all the complexity of a middle-aged Dalmatian woman, while Ivana Roscic in the Slovenian-Italian film Stories from the Chestnut Forest (Gregor Bozic) stars in a dream story of a forgotten community that once lived on the border of Yugoslavia and Italy.

The online program of the festival offers film lovers and film professionals, no matter where they are, the opportunity to attend masterclasses by the American director of short experimental films Robert Arnold, the new media artist G.H. Hovagimyan, a lecture by British video artist George Barber and American director Pamela B. Green, among others.

For 25 years, the Split Film Festival has focused on works created in deviation from the ruling canons of film and video production. Apart from the recent world and domestic productions, the audience remembers the festival through a series of retrospectives, workshops, lectures, and presentations by leading experts. The globally unique retrospectives of Béla Tarr and Lars von Trier, the Brazilian Cinema Novo, and Orson Welles are especially remembered as the first, and so far only, retrospectives of the father of video art Nam June Paik.

The Split Film Festival is the first domestic film festival to promote new media from the beginning. It also provided its audience with the first drive-in cinema in these areas, the Béla Tarra film workshop, and a lecture by the father of film avant-garde Peter Kubelka.

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September 7, 2020 – As Dalmacija Danas reports, young students from the Center of Excellence (Centar za izvrsnost) in Split have designed a device to fight the spread of coronavirus. The multi-purpose device has a contactless disinfectant, LED screen, and an ecological tank for old batteries and mobile phones, and could soon be found at the entrances of approximately 20 high schools in Split.

“The project is called Greenbox, it is a 3 in 1 solution, it includes an informative LED screen, a hand disinfectant, and an eclectic waste disposal area. We perfected it within the Center of Excellence, and the device is currently in 11 schools in Split,” explained Antonio Nikolić, a student at III. Gymnasium high school.

“In the programs, we have 430 students and 109 mentors, and they deal with topics related to mathematics, informatics, new technologies, and science. We also have the Center of Excellence for Entrepreneurship,” explained Ivica Zelić, director of the Center of Excellence of the Split-Dalmatia County.

He emphasized that a public call for testing students for this school year has been published. What they want, he says, is that students practically solve the problems that are set up to them.

Ilija Krišto, the assistant headmaster, believes that gifted children, but also capable and hard-working professors in the regular system, do not have the opportunity to show their potential.

“That is why the Split-Dalmatia County created this Center of Excellence and gives gifted children the opportunity to turn their ideas and potential into a complete project. The concept of Greenbox is just one of their many ideas. They have so many that we can't follow them,” Krišto revealed.

“It's all a challenge. You have a task and you need to solve it,” Antonio explained why he is happy to deal with such problems.

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September 7, 2020 - The latest news for flights to Croatia as Wizz Air stops traffic on three lines to Split, and British Airways makes its last rotation to Zagreb and Pula from Heathrow.

Croatian Aviation reports that Hungarian Wizz Air has made some changes in its flight schedule for September as there will be a disruption of traffic on three routes to Split Airport.

This well-known low-cost company operates only to Split Airport, seasonally, in the summer flight schedule. Despite the pandemic, Wizz Air resumed traffic from Split to four destinations, one more than the previous year. This year, the company introduced a completely new line - Dortmund - Split.

In addition to Dortmund, Wizz Air offers direct flights from Split to London (Luton Airport), Warsaw, and Katowice. These three lines will stop operating this month.

The Split - Warsaw line is currently operating three times a week, every Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday. The last flight on this line has been announced for Saturday, September 19.

The Split - Katowice line also operates three times a week, on the same days as the line from Warsaw, and the last flight is announced for Saturday, September 19.

The Split - London Luton line operates twice a week, every Monday and Friday. This line will be in traffic for slightly longer. The last flight will be on Monday, September 28. 

A completely new route, Split - Dortmund, is announced as a year-round line, and Wizz Air offers flights through the entire winter flight schedule three times a week, every Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday. Regular traffic in the winter months will depend on demand and restrictive measures.

Furthermore, British Airways made its last rotation on the London Heathrow - Zagreb - London Heathrow yesterday and finished traffic to Pula Airport. 

As was announced on August 25, British Airways decided to stop traffic on three of its four routes from London (Heathrow Airport) to Croatia.

The London Heathrow - Pula line has been in operation since August 1 with two flights a week (Tuesdays and Saturdays). British Airways planned to keep this route active throughout September, but the reintroduction of restrictions by the UK on passengers from Croatia forced the company to suspend traffic earlier. On Saturday, September 5, the last flight was made after only a month of regular operations, with a nine-year-old A320 aircraft (reg. Marked G-EUYL). British Airways plans to return to Pula in the spring of next year.

The London Heathrow - Zagreb line operated 3 times a week in July and 5 times a week in August. The company completely suspended sales on this line three weeks ago, and as of Monday, September 7, there are no more direct flights.

British Airways has been offering flights on the London - Zagreb route from October 1, with as many as 11 flights available per week. The fact is that this is a British Airways flight schedule planned even before the outbreak of the pandemic, and the company has not considered those flights so far. Operational changes (cancellations) for flights from October 1 can be expected in mid-September, and, certainly, this company will not fly 11 times a week to Zagreb.

If British Airways decided to stop traffic on this line now, in early September, there will likely be no flights either in October or in the other winter months. On the flight from Zagreb, there were 113 passengers (LF 70%).

Croatia Airlines also operates on the London-Zagreb route, which reduced the number of flights in September. 

The London Heathrow - Split line will remain in service until September 26.

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September 6, 2020 - Poljud celebrates 41 years. Retired professor Ante Mihanovic from the Faculty of Civil Engineering, Architecture and Geodesy in Split spoke about the condition of the stadium after so many years, how it could look in a new guise, and how long the renovation works could last.

Slobodna Dalmacija writes Poljud stadium, the work of architect Boris Magas, is celebrating its 41st birthday. 

Even as a young engineer and associate of the chief constructor, engineer Bozenko Jelic, Mihanovic participated in the design of the stadium until the main project stage. Then, after construction, he led the monitoring of that demanding construction for more than two decades. A few years ago, also as part of the team of the Faculty in Split, he was one of the reviewers of the stadium renovation project developed by the IGH Institute.

To begin with, he spoke about the reasons why the Faculty carefully monitored the construction of Poljud for more than 20 years:

"A year after its construction, vibrations were noticed in high parts of the auditorium. We found that these are millimeter shifts on the large console, which are insignificant. But they created an uncomfortable feeling, because people are used to vertical vibrations, and not really to horizontal ones.

Also, it was the first time that the company "Mero" had produced a structure that is curved over 200 meters.

"That construction was something new in Europe. As an architectural work, it was met with a lot of praise in the world and it is the only building structure from the former Yugoslavia that has entered the literature of universities in Western Europe. The only!" points out the interlocutor, who is an associate member of the Croatian Academy of Sciences and Arts, a regular member of the Croatian Academy of Technical Sciences, was the dean and vice dean of the Faculty of Split for 12 years and is still active at the age of 71.

Mihanovic continues that there was a 10-year warranty period for the quality of performance.

"Initially, we removed the cracks on the main supports that were expected and the contractor agreed to repair them. So, the stadium was monitored, but not maintained," he notes.

"There are norms in the profession that the City, as the owner of the sports facility, did not respect. Namely, the stadium was supposed to be maintained after the age of 10, considering the steel construction, which means that it is protected against corrosion, dust is removed from it, and to see how the installations, screws and everything else work. Upstairs you also have KIC cabins and trails. Steel structures are generally inspected in detail every five years, and I would say that renovation should be done every 10 years. This has not been done so far."

A few years ago, an initiative was launched from the City to start the renovation, which would replace everything that has not been done for these 40 years.

"It has been warned countless times that a renovation is needed, because the more difficult it is, the more expensive the intervention will be. It has now reached the amount of 100 million kuna, which is a considerable amount. The recent decision to declare the stadium a cultural monument, because it is - a top architectural and construction work, allows you to apply for European funds for rehabilitation."

The IGH Institute won the tender for the preparation of the rehabilitation project, and professors Bernardin Peros and Ante Mihanovic from the Faculty of Split were reviewers.

"We reviewed the entire project on which about 30 experts from the Institute and their associates worked. It has been accepted and is located in the City and in Hajduk, and is on its way to being applied for EU funds. With the realization of this complete project, the stadium will be brought to a state that would be very close to the state after construction."

With one hundred million kuna...

"We will change the lexan cover and metal substructures, use anticorrosive to protect all metal roof structures and remove defects, restore and finally repaint all concrete structures, which will be refreshed in appearance. Then there are interventions on electrical and mechanical installations, and on the fire protection system. The stated estimated amount does not include the interior design of landscaping and lawns."

At one time, the installation of solar panels was mentioned as an idea.

"Solar panels are out of the question because this would change the shape of the roof, and it should be in the same shape as the original. The Belgian factory, which produces lexan boards, has informed those working on the renovation project that they have preserved the molds and are likely to make more favorable offers to make new boards. To this factory, as well as to the company "Mero" from Germany, Poljud stadium was a reference for future business, and they follow everything that happens around," said Mihanovic, who adds:

"The steel substructure is in the worst condition, to which the cover is attached with screws. Due to the substructure, the entire cover must be removed.

It seems that in the construction itself, the substructure was perfectly solved. However, there was a hurry with the construction, the stadium was built in less than two years, so it was not possible to wait for someone else to deliver it.

Also, the structures were partially damaged in the shooting during the war, as JNA soldiers from Lore practiced shooting in some parts of the stadium. There is also damage by the nature of things - zinc and anti-corrosion protection is not preserved everywhere and will have to be partially restored and of course, there will be painting."

Of that 100 million kuna, 40 million kuna are for metal parts - the roof and everything next to it, and 60 million for the concrete structure.

"You have damage and patches on the concrete structure. All damage should be removed, compensated for where the reinforcement is missing, restored and repainted. So all the spectator supporter beams will be renewed. Then you have bridges, tunnels, retaining walls - they all need to be inspected and rebuilt. The bridge on the promenade above Hajduk's premises is in the worst condition because the drainage was not good there and water was retained on it."

The renovation project is complete, says Mihanovic, and, in his opinion, very well made.

The city of Split must act within a certain deadline.

"In my opinion, the renovation should be carried out within 10 years, because after that there will be low reliability of the elements that are overhead, and there will be a risk of someone getting hurt. Also, the longer you wait, the more you will have to invest in renovation. So the sooner you start, the cheaper it will be."

The rehabilitation, he adds, will take several years.

"Objectively, you will not have a hundred teams to attack at once. For example, if you started painting 12,000 rods of steel construction with a group of a dozen people, you would do so for so long that when they get to the other end, you would have to start all over again, provided you renew the paint every five years."

He continues that the stadium will not need to be closed for renovation works.

"Removing the cover and substructure can be done in the period when no matches are held at the stadium. When the renovation of the stands is done, work will be done on one part, and the other part will be used. Therefore, playing matches and partially filling the audience will always be allowed."

Mihanovic says that the stadium is still secure as it stands now.

"But it is simply a thing that ages, weakens day by day, and one day it must be repaired. You can leave it like that for another 20 years, but then it's not certain that some of those lexans won't fly from above."

The documentation is prepared to apply for European funds. 

"The application for funds will last at least from a year to a year and a half, followed by a public procurement for the selection of contractors. So, the renovation could start in two years at the earliest. The Poljud beauty will return to its original state, perhaps even better. The value of the stadium is 150 million euro. That is how much it would cost to make a new one. The renovation will cost only 10 percent of that amount. According to that, the building is in relatively good condition.

The designers were obliged to give it a shelf life of 50 years. It is without intervention in the structural parts, but with earlier maintenance. You can't let the construction go, you have to start maintaining it at some point."

The immediate work is numerical modeling, calculations and design of building structures.

"We worked on the calculation and design of the Poljud structure, partly on our own program, and something on the American STRESS, which was installed on "Srca" - University Computing Center in Zagreb," said Mihanovic.

So, what does Hajduk say?

"Project documentation has been prepared, and the City and Hajduk will apply for funding from EU funds from 2021 to 2027. We’re sending out funding applications in September, and we’ll know the results early next year, and maybe sooner. The roof renovation project is worth 102 million kuna, and the museum 44 million," said Marin Brbic, president of Hajduk.

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September 5, 2020 - The latest news for flights to Croatia as Jet2 cancels all 12 lines to Croatia, namely to Dubrovnik, Split and Pula. 

Croatian Aviation reports that Jet2, a British airline focused on leisure passengers, is suspending traffic on all routes from the UK to Croatia. This is the result of the introduced restrictive measures for travelers coming from Croatia to the United Kingdom, which resulted in a significant drop in demand.

In the first half of July, Jet2 launched as many as 12 international routes to Croatia, from numerous British airports to Pula, Split and Dubrovnik, almost immediately after lifting restrictive measures in the UK. The company returned to the Croatian market, but with a significantly smaller number of routes and weekly flights compared to last summer season, thus adjusting its offer and capacity to current demand.

Jet2 stated the reasons for the cancellation, and in addition to flights to Croatia, the company is also suspending traffic to Spain.

"Due to the global pandemic and reduced demand, as well as due to the measures introduced for travelers coming to the UK from Croatia, we have decided to cancel all flights and travel arrangements for the rest of this summer season. Our last flight from Croatia this year will be on Sunday, September 6, 2020."

This week, the company will operate the last flights to and from Croatia and stop operating on as many as 12 scheduled flights to Dubrovnik, Split, and Pula:

Birmingham - Dubrovnik,

London Stansted - Dubrovnik,

Manchester - Dubrovnik,

Newcastle - Dubrovnik,

Birmingham - Split,

East Midlands - Split,

Leeds - Split,

London Stansted - Split,

Manchester - Split,

Birmingham - Pula,

Leeds - Pula

Manchester - Pula.

After the flights and tourist arrangements for this summer season were completely canceled by the British TUI, Jet2 was the only one that offered British tourists holiday packages in Croatia this summer season. The company achieved an average Load Factor (passenger cabin occupancy) of less than 40% on the lines operating to Croatia, which cannot be considered satisfactory.

Jet2 plans to return to Croatia in the spring of 2021, but this will certainly depend on the pandemic and restrictive measures.

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September 3, 2020 -  “Croatia, Full of Life!” says the national tourist board, but are they aware of all of the poisoned cats? A closer look at the animal issue plaguing Dalmatia's streets.

Street cats have become a symbol of Croatia, and whether you find them fishing on the coast, in bins, or enjoying a bit of ‘fjaka’ on an ancient stone wall, you’ll be hard-pressed to miss one while you're here.

But there is a dark side to our furry friends in Dalmatia, something I could never imagine in a place of so much beauty. Cat poisonings. 

Growing up in California, my family always had cats. Because we lived on acres of citrus and avocado trees, we'd often wake up to litters in our shed or on top of our cars before I was driven to school. While we found homes for some, we raised others and ensured they were part of our family. Some we had for over 15 years, and all had passed before we moved to Croatia. 

Without the responsibility of house pets for the first time in years, the thought of adopting an animal here hardly crossed my mind. And to be honest, I went four years in Split without taking any in. That is, until a kitten drove under our car for 20 minutes before falling out in the middle of the highway, which I heard only thanks to a hunch in my gut that something wasn't right. Suzy drove home with us that day and became my first kitten love in Croatia. Just over two months later, a 3-week old kitten was abandoned by its mother on a rainy Sunday night near my home, and while I tried finding him a forever home, Ziggy became a Rogulj, too. And that’s only the beginning. 

However, it wasn’t until I rescued Ziggy that I became wholly exposed to the depths of the cat community in Split and Dalmatia. While I had friends actively involved on the streets or Facebook, I was often hesitant to join for fear of uncovering its somber side. Part of me enjoyed being blissfully unaware, thinking that the street cats here are healthy, happy, and have homes, as many people want you to believe. Unfortunately, it’s far worse than I’d ever imagined - and for anyone with the slightest bit of compassion, impossible to turn your head. 

Not only do cities seldom help in sponsoring sterilizations for street cats (there are a few exceptions, like Stari Grad, which I will go into later), but many citizens believe that cats are pests, and pests must go before the tourists arrive. This is where the act of poisoning comes in. 

At the beginning of August, Jutarnji List reported on 17 cats that were either poisoned, beaten, or drowned on the island of Hvar in a matter of weeks, terrifying tourists who left their accommodation because they found a dead cat in the courtyard. They added that dog owners were scared to leave their homes, and parents were hesitant to take their children to playgrounds for fear of them coming across traces of poison. The poison used, they said, was potent, and nothing anyone, let alone a cat, should come into contact with. 

Pexels

Hvar, however, is only one example. Kelly Parslow, an ex-pat who has lived in the village of Osibova on Brac for years, has lost eight cats to poisonings. 

“I believed foolishly that the first time it was an accidental poisoning. I was aware that cats were often poisoned here, and a colony of street cats that I cared for was wiped out by poison a few years before. But I couldn’t believe that my neighbours would deliberately harm MY cats. I was very wrong,” said Parslow. 

Kelly first realized two of her cats went missing while she was caring for another she found foaming at the mouth.

“Both of these cats came to me as unwanted kittens, left at my house during the night by people with unsterilized house cats, who were allowed to roam freely, and ended up pregnant. Before I moved here, the unwanted kittens would be left at the neighbourhood rubbish bins, and kind-hearted locals would feed them until they were inevitably poisoned, to “clean” ahead of the tourist season. Then word spread of the crazy foreigner who loves cats, and soon, the kittens were turning up at my home. I didn’t mind, though. I have enough space at home and in my heart for these poor creatures. I believed they would be safe with me. My home is surrounded by forest and sea. Osibova is a neighbourhood of vikendice and apartmani. I am one of only a few year-round residents. The neighbours who come in summer love my cats. Children often come to feed and play with them. A retired couple even adopted one particularly friendly cat. They were not previously “cat people,” but my sweet girl converted them, and they adore her completely!”

And the poisonings didn’t stop there.

“With the third victim, I realised that this was no accidental poisoning. My cats were deliberately killed. People told me it was probably hunters who leave poison in the forest for reasons I don’t entirely understand. Reports of more poisoned creatures started pouring in. Two puppies, many kune, and even owls. Who knows how many other creatures were carelessly slaughtered. That’s the thing with such a poison. It doesn’t only kill the targeted animal. It passes through the entire food chain, killing big and small creatures and contaminating the environment. It never disappears, it slowly dissipates but not before causing untold damage to the delicate ecosystem,” Kelly said. 

A week later, she found the fourth victim, Tootsi. 

“He was a refugee from Milna, his clipped ear a sign that he had been one of many cats sterilized in a large ‘Trap Neuter Return’ effort, carried out by volunteers and paid for by the Municipality. He had only one eye, the other most likely shot with an air rifle, in some twisted version of target practice for hunters. Despite all this, he was sweet, friendly, and grateful for my care and affection. I found him under a bush, foaming at the mouth, crying in pain and fear. Again I rushed to the vet, but he was dead by the time I arrived.”

Kelly resolved to building a cat-proof fence on her property to protect her remaining cats, though work cannot begin until after the tourist season as building work is prohibited. 

“At the same time, 2 cats disappeared. I never found their bodies. The death toll stood at 5. I thought that the opening of the tourist season would protect the remaining cats. Surely no one would drop poison around when so many people with young children and dogs were here enjoying their summer holiday! I underestimated the stupidity and savagery of the culprits. 

Last week, I heard that more cats had been poisoned in Osibova. Orphaned kittens were found, some dead, some clinging to life. Three of my cats were missing. 

I searched the neighbourhood for days until I found the body of my beloved Turtle. She crawled under the wooden kučica for cats that I built in my garden. There she died the same painful, terrifying death as the others.”

Shocked by Kelly's experience, I decided to take a poll of my Facebook friends to see who else has witnessed something similar. The situation in Slatine on Ciovo is no better.

"I would like to draw your attention to Slatine (Ciovo), where such a practice is repeated from year to year, on a much larger scale (although almost unknown to the general public). This year alone, already three times, dozens of cats have been poisoned. Non-selective poisoning, in public places, without warning and notice (and permission), which endangers both children and other pets. The motive is simple, out of season, cats are desirable because they 'control pests and snakes' everyone feeds them and lets them reproduce uncontrollably, and in season, they are 'enemy number 1 because tourists come,' and Slatine residents have no urge to keep the place clean, so cats gather in crowded containers in groups of up to 30," reads one message I received on Facebook. The source added that Slatine is officially part of the City of Split, and the Split district, which makes the story even crazier.

Unfortunately, it is known in the community that the police rarely act on reports of cat poisonings. 

“Cat poisonings are amongst the major issues when it comes to animal welfare in Dalmatia.  These atrocities happen regularly throughout the year, the work of psychopaths who go unpunished, with a big spike during the spring and summer months. The reason is that many accommodation and restaurant owners are convinced they need to 'clean the place of cats' so they don't bother tourists. This makes no sense whatsoever, given that the visitors love cats and seem to show a lot more empathy for them than most locals. Our association has reported dozens of cases to the police, but it is never taken seriously, and often, we are even laughed off. The authorities don't seem to think cats' lives are worth their time and resources,” said Tanja Vukicevic of the Split association Deseti Zivot. 

Zdravko Podolski, a resident of Vrboska on the island of Hvar, has lost three cats to poisonings, oftentimes with no luck from the police - but that shouldn't discourage people from reporting.

"Always report, to grad/opcina, to police, to komunalno redarstvo, to drustvo za zastitu zivotinja. From the police, insist on a case number. If you have suspicions, share them. Nothing will happen the first few (or even many) times, but you can ask for a report, and you can set the press to ask," he says. Printing out articles in the media about poisonings and placing them in the mailboxes of suspects could work, too. 

Parslow believes that if several people report the same crime, the police can do their job. 

“People say the same thing to me over and over: don’t bother to report it because the police don’t care. This is not true at all. In my experience, the police care a lot and are always sympathetic. They can’t do anything if they don’t know the crimes are happening. By not reporting, people ensure that nothing will continue to happen. I always report to the police and the local municipality, but one report is not enough! If several people report the same crime, then there is more information for the police to work with. That is what happened in this case. The police told me that several other people had reported the same incidents of poisoning. Putting all the reports together gives the police a better picture of what is happening. Every piece of information, however tiny, is a piece of the jigsaw puzzle that can lead to prosecution. 

There are several different routes to prosecution. An autopsy and toxicology analysis can be performed by the police crime laboratory, but it is very expensive, and citizens are usually expected to pay for it themselves. The poison itself is prohibited in Croatia and must be brought in from neighbouring countries with more relaxed laws. Anyone found in possession of the substance can be prosecuted. Offenders can be caught on video surveillance cameras, and some are even stupid enough to brag about their crimes, effectively confessing their guilt. I urge all concerned citizens to report these crimes. It takes a tiny amount of effort, and you might not see results immediately, but it is worth it.”

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I was shocked to discover just how many locals are unaware of what to do if they come across poisoned cats. One message last week from a local university student in the Visoka neighborhood of Split is an example.

"Someone in my street is poisoning cats, and I don't know what to do. I'm so sad about it because three already died."

According to Animal Friends in Croatia, if you are to witness an imminent threat to the health and life of an animal and severe abuse of an animal (including all forms of physical abuse), you are to call 192 and request the intervention of the police to prevent further endangerment of the animal and, if it is torture and/or killing the animal, file a criminal report.

A criminal report for abuse and/or killing of an animal should also be submitted by a witness of abuse/killing of an animal or a person who has information about it, in writing to the competent Municipal State Attorney's Office for violation of Article 205 of the Criminal Code. You can read more about it HERE. 

Last week, a 61-year-old woman on the island of Hvar was caught by police for poisoning four cats. Some justice, finally, has been served.

“The people of Hvar are finally relieved: after a police investigation, the case of poisoning and killing cats, which had been buzzing in the news for days, was resolved. Allegedly, some tourists decided to leave Hvar after they came across the corpse of a cat in the yard of the apartment where they were staying, which horrified them so much that they packed up and left. 

Although several killed cats were found in the town of Hvar in July, in yards and even in a net at sea, Hvar Police Station officers found that a 61-year-old woman from Hvar had killed four cats, which led to a report of the crime of killing or torturing animals. The competent state attorney's office was informed about the completion of the criminal investigation in a special report, as a supplement to the previously submitted criminal reports,” reads Slobodna Dalmacija’s release on the police report.

Killing or torturing animals in Croatia can see you imprisoned for up to a year.

Vivian Grisogono of Eco Hvar, an association helping to improve the health, environment, and conditions for animals on Hvar Island and beyond, suggests a way forward. 

“One has to recognise why there's a problem and the valid reasons why some people object to having cats around their property. And then one can work out solutions, at least to some degree. Firstly, we feel that feeding stations with soil or sand areas for toileting would be a good start. Zagreb apparently has 40 of these. Such feeding points would make it easier to organise the sterilization of strays. Secondly, a satellite shelter (stacionar) would be excellent. One of our members has offered the use of some private land for this purpose, so we are now planning to create a satellite shelter under the aegis of the Animalis Centrum/Zaklada za zaštitu životinja Beštie) shelter in Kaštel Sućurac. It's quite a big undertaking, but is desperately needed.

Getting local authority support for these initiatives, including financial, would be the best possible positive result out of the tragic events of the last few months. Stari Grad, Hvar, and Jelsa have already taken positive action in financing cat sterilizations from their budgets, which was a big step forward, and is due to the initiative of Amanda Blanch and Chris Edwardes, who run the Hidden House Hotel in Stari Grad.

Restaurants and hotels would do well to join in the initiative - it would be good for their image, would help keep local cats under control, and would definitely please the many guests who come here and enjoy having cats around. Also, the cats are, of course, useful in controlling snakes and vermin.”

Amanda Blanch of the Stari Grad Kitten Fund believes we need to use the recent media attention to our advantage to keep the momentum around the issue going.

"There is momentum after the awful killings and torturing of cats in Hvar Town, and finally someone has been arrested. I have never gotten anywhere with the police or authorities on this, but they did finally listen about the Stari Grad Kitten Fund, and after three or more hard years, the mayor did put some money into the sterilization program. It is starting to get traction, and we must keep fighting for change and show people the benefits for them. Tourists prefer not to find dead or dying cats around, and there aren't as many cat feces around our area as the sterilization program worked, as we had fewer cats, mice, and snakes."

While Parslow has grieved eight lives this year, she fears that death could extend beyond cats, and tourism doomed on the island forever. 

“The poison, in this case, is a powerful neurotoxin, which usually kills in minutes. It is extremely dangerous to all life, including humans. I fear that if this is allowed to continue, one day, a small child will be killed. Toddlers explore their world by putting things in their mouths. Imagine if the child of a tourist is poisoned in beautiful Osibova. Tourism would be destroyed here forever. 

People say it’s the older generation who poison cats. They don’t know and can’t afford any other way of controlling the cat population. This is not always the case and certainly not the case here. The culprits are not old, they are not even from Milna. They are property owners who make a lot of money from tourism. They will destroy anything which gets in the way of their profit. They don’t understand that tourists from other countries do care about animal welfare and would be horrified to learn that cats are tortured and killed for their benefit. They don’t care about the very thing which draws those tourists: the incredible natural beauty of this region.”

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