Zoo would be a disease threat

I would like to congratulate Manama Municipal Council member Mr Mohammed Abdulla Mansoor Abdulla for scrapping plans to include a small zoo in a new park in Karababad (GDN, November 25).
Mr Abdulla said "the decision was made in view of the many diseases that may be caused by animals". This is a valid point indeed, the recent bird flu scare has caused people to re-evaluate the potential hazards of keeping animals in captivity.
There are more than 200 diseases or infections recognised by the World Health Organisation which are transmissible from animals to man, ranging from mild infections to life threatening diseases.
Personally I would scrap any proposal for a small zoo in a park on the grounds of the animals' welfare, but if the plans for a zoo get scrapped on the grounds of health and safety reasons then so be it - it serves the same purpose in the end. Little by little, one way or another, attitudes towards zoos are changing, even here in Bahrain. Anti zoo campaigner