In the UAE keeping exotic pets such as monkeys, lion cubs and iguanas is not unheard of. In fact the UAE is considered one of the biggest wild animal importers in the Gulf.

 

According to statistics the UAE legally imported 10,000 Royal Snakes and issued four times the permits issued in other GCC countries to import big cats such as tigers, cheetahs, lions and leopards between 2007 and 2010.

However, some people are oblivious to the risks they inflict on their own well-being and health by taking part in this practice.

 

According to Dr Al Sayed Ahmad Mohammad, regional director of the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW), diseases transmitted by these animals can, in some cases, be deadly.

 

“People are unaware of the health risks they inflict on themselves by owning such animals. For example reptiles such as iguanas and turtles can cause salmonella. As for apes there is a long list of diseases that can be transmitted to humans, some of which are even deadly.”

Infographic

 

Common diseases that can be transmitted to humans by exotic pets

 

International statistics show that 90 per cent of reptiles are carriers of the bacterial disease salmonella. The most common disease that can be transmitted from pet monkeys is monkeypox which can be fatal.

“Even birds can transmit diseases such as bird flu while big cats such as cheetahs, tigers and lion can transmit rabies if a human is bitten.”

 

To raise awareness about these risks IFAW’s Animal Action Education programme and the Ministry of Education have developed a regional programme titled ‘Keep them Wild’ that will supplement existing courses in UAE schools.

 

‘Keep them Wild’ will target 35,000 UAE pupils from grade four to five (ages 8 to 11) who attend public and private school, expect for schools in Abu Dhabi and private schools in Dubai.

 

Dr Mohammad said that although officials in the UAE have done substantial work to stop illegal trafficking of wild animals into the country there are still official sources where these animals can be found.

 

“For this reason education is vital,” he said.

 

“According to a survey we conducted last year we found 800 websites that sell exotic pets, we also have cheetah breeding centres in the country and some animals can also be obtained through official permits. Nonetheless the problem is not the animals; it is human behaviour. We believe that the main motivation for importing exotic pets here are families and children which is why we started this programme.”

 

In cooperation with the educational zone IFRW will conduct a workshop for teachers in January to show teachers how the programme can be used in their classes.

 

Nancy Barr, director of the Animal Action Education Programme, said that ‘Keep them Wild’ will be implemented by teachers in order to achieve sustainability.

 

Teacher-led

 

“The programme which we will launch in January will be teacher-led because we don’t want it to be a one-time event where IFRA comes in and lectures about animal welfare. Instead we want to give teachers the tools to teach students by offering material that can supplement their courses.”

 

Following the workshops, the ministry will distribute educational material which consists of a magazine that includes the lessons, teaching guide, art content and worksheet. This material will act as a supplement to their existing classes.

 

This material will focus on five risks: threats to human health, threats to safety, animal conservation, animal cruelty and non-native invaders.

 

“If we educate children about the risks of purchasing these animals they will take the knowledge they learn and teach the rest of their families,” said Atef Anwar Mursi, an adviser at the Ministry of Education’s Student Activities and Scientific Competition Department.

 

Taken from: www.gulfnews.com

Read more here: http://gulfnews.com/news/gulf/uae/education/keep-them-wild-campaign-in-uae-to-target-schoolchildren-1.1256324