A dangerous practice
Dear Sir,
Who never dreams of having his own cheetah or a white tiger? They are so cute!
But then are wild animals supposed to be pets? Is it fair to them? Well no, it is not fair to them.
Many people treat wild animals the same way as domestic ones. They don’t realise that they are wild. People love them, they think that the animals are happy with them, but they are not. Moreover, the way they are treated could be horrible.
It’s illegal in some countries to have a wild animal, but that doesn’t stop people from keeping them. In Qatar, it is illegal to keep wild animals as pets but they are smuggled in and some people keep them.
Some animals are badly treated: they get declawed and they have their canine teeth taken off. It’s not how a living being is supposed to be treated. Some owners consider them like babies: they are even made to wear diapers!
If not properly kept and fed, wild animals could pose a big hazard to people.
They belong in their natural habitat and not in the hands of individuals as pets.
Wild animals also pose serious health risks to humans. Many of them are carriers of zoonotic diseases, such as Monkey Pox and Salmonellosis, all of which are communicable to humans.
We need to be aware of the consequences of keeping wild animals at home, especially the ones who are dangerous. There is the constant fear of them escaping and harming people in the community.
Ilhyana, Kylian, Jason, Jesus and Ali, International School of London, Qatar
Let’s not overreact
Dear Sir,
Ignoring the vehement statements made against me by a fellow student of the “school near religious complex” (Gulf Times, May 14), I would like to bring the voice of reason back into the ongoing debate on Indian schools in this column which, it seems, has become some sort of a complaint box.
Many students would like to spend some time outdoors even in these hot days.
They shouldn’t mind then a short 2-5-minute walk while leaving for school or coming home.
As an assistant prefect, I witnessed the other day a classroom of fourth graders arguing with their PE teacher to take them out to play sports, even in this 40+C temperature. The children are fine, it’s us who are overreacting.
A few letter writers wanted the schools to use minibuses to transport children. But many entrances and side streets are too small for even minibuses to negotiate.
I also approached transport officials to find out more about this. They say the QR350 per head transport fee would not be enough to cover the expenses if minibuses are used for school transport.
I do know the feel of the scorching sun on my back, and I personally walk more than 170m from the main gate to my doorstep, with my 10-year-old sister. So why am I defending the school? Because my individual convenience cannot outweigh that of the 40 other people in my bus, including teachers - regardless of what services the school could have done for me.
So I must beg the following question of the student: is this a concern that is truly avoidable or is this a plea for convenience?
Aditya Karkera, Grade 11, “School near religious complex”
Please send us your letters By e-mail: editor@gulf-times.com