Mad monkeys and poor pets
Some self-appointed social media practitioners are behaving like a troop of mad monkeys, wielding straight razors. They are having a field day, in these troubled times, disseminating, as they do, misinformation about the coronavirus pandemic and the attendant issues. These elements have caused immense suffering to pets by claiming that the latter transmit coronavirus. Some people have taken their claim seriously, panicked and abandoned their pets, on roads, we are told. These pet owners may have fallen for fake news about pets, hook, line, and sinker, because Covid-19 is a zoonosis, which is believed to have jumped from the pangolin to humans, and a Tiger, in a foreign zoo, has been afflicted with coronavirus. There have been no cases of pets transmitting coronavirus to humans, according to scientists.
The Government Medical Officers’ Association (GMOA) has jumped to the defence of the pets in danger. The good doctors have rubbished the aforesaid social media claim and sought to allay fears of the public, as we reported, on Monday. They deserve praise for their concern for the poor animals.
Some self-appointed social media practitioners are behaving like a troop of mad monkeys, wielding straight razors. They are having a field day, in these troubled times, disseminating, as they do, misinformation about the coronavirus pandemic and the attendant issues. These elements have caused immense suffering to pets by claiming that the latter transmit coronavirus. Some people have taken their claim seriously, panicked and abandoned their pets, on roads, we are told. These pet owners may have fallen for fake news about pets, hook, line, and sinker, because Covid-19 is a zoonosis, which is believed to have jumped from the pangolin to humans, and a Tiger, in a foreign zoo, has been afflicted with coronavirus. There have been no cases of pets transmitting coronavirus to humans, according to scientists.
The Government Medical Officers’ Association (GMOA) has jumped to the defence of the pets in danger. The good doctors have rubbished the aforesaid social media claim and sought to allay fears of the public, as we reported, on Monday. They deserve praise for their concern for the poor animals.
Public awareness of Covid-19 seems to be high, but much more remains to be done to dispel certain misconceptions about it. The health authorities should educate the people more on the transmission of coronavirus and counter false claims being circulated via the Internet. True, they are up to their ears in work, which is both physically and mentally draining, but they alone can nail canards that confuse the public and cause them to act irrationally.
Meanwhile, the much-delayed Animal Welfare Bill is currently being finalised, according to a news item we publish, today. Why on earth has it taken so long to draft the vital Bill? The religiosity of our politicians and mandarins knows no bounds. They never miss an opportunity to make a public display of it. But the formulation of laws to protect animals, effectively, has been delayed for years, under successive governments. Our report says Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa has ordered that the new Bill be submitted to the next Parliament by July. One can only hope that the Covid-19 crisis will be over soon; a new Parliament will be elected, and the new animal protection laws passed, as planned.
Prime Minister Rajapaksa is reported to have said some police personnel are unaware that the offence of subjecting animals to cruelty is punishable by imprisonment. If so, the police need to be educated on animal rights, and the relevant laws, urgently. Once the draft Bill is ready, there should be a public debate thereon and the views of animal rights activists need to be taken on board and amendments introduced before its submission to Parliament.
No comments:
Post a Comment