Saudi Gazette report

JEDDAH — Many people have called on the authorities to punish officials responsible for closing down the zoo in Jeddah's Muntazahat district, east of the Haramain Expressway.

They said the closure worsened the condition of animals and was a waste of public money.

Al-Madina Arabic daily visited the zoo recently to find out its current condition. "We were able to see only 20 donkeys kept in a makeshift cage. We could also see garbage being accumulated inside and outside the zoo,” said Al-Madina journalist Saad Al-Munie.

Faisal Al-Harthi, a resident of A-Samir district, criticized the municipality's decision to close the facility to the public. "The closure has denied the people of Jeddah the opportunity to visit a zoo with their children. It was a good place for entertainment not only for the residents but also for tourists who visit the city during school vacations," he told Al-Madina.

Most cities in the Kingdom have zoos, Al-Harthi said while urging the authorities to take measures to open the zoo as quickly as possible after carrying out necessary maintenance works. "We want to know who ordered the closure of the zoo," he said while stressing the need to invest the place profitably.

"The municipality has closed the zoo for visitors and is spending thousands of riyals every day for its maintenance without earning anything in return," Al-Harthi said.

Ghadeer Al-Rifaee, a schoolteacher, expressed her surprise over the decision to close the zoo. "Our students have expressed their desire to visit the zoo. Later I came to know that it has been closed," she said.

"I cannot understand what is the purpose of a zoo that is closed to the public. The municipality has been spending large amounts of money on this zoo. At the same time, it was not allowing people to enter it. They have to watch animals from outside its walls," she said.

In a previous statement, Ayad Abdullah, a senior municipality official, said there was a plan to build a new zoo in east Jeddah. He said the municipality would identify possible partners, including foreign companies to establish the new zoo.

Abdullah has said the Jeddah Urban Development and Investment Company will develop an exclusive area for recreational activities for Jeddah residents and the zoo will be set up in a spacious place within the area.

The zoo known as Beautiful Creatures was originally established in 1985 by businessman Wasmi Al-Wasmi in an area covering 16,000 square meters west of the Expressway. Al-Wasmi owned part of the land and leased the other part from the municipality.

The zoo was popular because of the presence of a variety of animals including tigers, lions, elephants, chimpanzees and different species of birds. With the rapid development of Jeddah, the zoo found itself in a residential area and was moved to the Muntazahat district. The construction of a new highway and a bridge in the area had also affected the zoo.