DAMMAM — The Ministry of Agriculture has urged animal rights activists to give their opinion on existing wildlife protection laws to come up with a new mechanism to identify crimes against animals and punish people who commit them. At least 20 video clips showing animal torture in the Kingdom surface annually on social media networks. The Saudi Wildlife Authority said it follows up video clips that appear on social media showing cruelty to animals and takes punitive action against those involved in such crimes based on existing laws. Zuhair Sammak, an animal rights activist who runs a shelter for stranded and handicapped animals, said at least 20 video clips showing cruelty against animals in the Kingdom are published through social media annually and this should be stopped. "The majority of such video clips are originated from Riyadh, Jeddah, Makkah, Khamis Mushait and Arar," he told Al-Watan Arabic daily. He emphasized the need to apply Animal Welfare and Protection Act on people who torture animals and kill them for sadistic pleasure. "Three days ago a young man in Khamis Mushayt beat a dog to death after mutilating it for killing chicken," Sammak told Al-Watan. He emphasized the need to expose animal torturers to promote a culture of compassion to animals. He urged the Ministry of Agriculture to activate its department for promoting animal welfare. "It should keep a watch on places and shops that keep animals and inform the public about the various types of punishable cruelty toward animals to keep them away from such practices. Ahmed Al-Bouq, spokesman of the Saudi Wildlife Authority, said posting videos of killing and torturing animals on social media has become a phenomenon and its victims are not only carnivorous animals but also domesticated ones including birds. "This trend shows that there is lack of awareness," Sammak said. He said the torture of animals and publishing video clips are punishable by law. "We follow video clips showing cruelty to animals through social media and arrest those behind such crimes. Security agencies launch an investigation and punish the criminals in accordance with the law," he pointed out. Al-Bouq said his organization keeps a close watch on regions having animals that face extinction in order to protect them and sustain wildlife diversity. He urged people who are fond of traveling all over the Kingdom to inform the authority about predators and exotic animals as we consider them as a rare asset. "The publication of cruelty against animals through social media would have a negative impact on animal welfare and affect people's compassion toward animals," he added.
