The public zoo run by the Jeddah municipality at Kilo 11 as seen from a nearby hill on Wednesday. Pictures inside the zoo, which has been closed for many years, and of the animals, were not permitted. – SG photo by Mohammad Mazhar Siddiqi Media discouraged from taking photosJEDDAH – Reports published in some local newspapers that animals in Jeddah's municipality-owned zoo are sick and mistreated have been denied by Bahjat Hamwah, Director of Parks and Landscaping at Jeddah Mayoralty. The zoo located at Kilo 11 has been closed for a number of years but animals are still kept there as the municipality says that it has plans to reopen the facility to the public. “Anyone who claims that animals inside the zoo are mistreated should be sued in the court because such people are not doctors and such judgments cannot be made by looking at pictures taken from behind fences,” said Hamwah. He also explained that there are veterinarians taking care of the animals and that his department signed a contract with a company a year ago to develop the zoo and reopen it to the public. When he was asked why the zoo has been closed for such a long time, Hamwah said that he had no knowledge about that, and quickly added that he preferred to end the interview with Saudi Gazette as he did not like to be asked so many questions. “I don't have to answer your questions and I'm not willing to cooperate with you,” said Hamwah. “You may write in your newspaper that I'm not cooperative enough. I really don't care,” he added A source in the municipality, who spoke to Saudi Gazette on condition of anonymity, said that the zoo situated in southeastern Jeddah has been closed for almost a decade and was supposed to reopen to the public last year but that this has been delayed because the black Wednesday floods damaged the zoo's infrastructure. The source said that the zoo contains more than 23 animal species, including a rare species of tiger. Upon a visit to the zoo, Saudi Gazette tried to get a close look at the animals and the conditions under which they are being kept, but those in charge of the zoo's administration refused saying “it would be dangerous because it is the animals' feeding time”. The administration also explained that they do not trust the media. They said that they once let a journalist take pictures of the animals, only to be surprised when he published a photo of an elephant with a caption saying “zoo animals are not cleaned”. Regarding this incident, the municipality source told Saudi Gazette that instead of correcting the sad situation of the elephant as depicted in the photo, the mayoralty instead launched an investigation of the supervisor of the zoo demanding to know how the journalist had gained access to the zoo and was able to take photos there.
