JEDDAH — Random camel pens have started to surface again in several neighborhoods of the city after they were demolished months ago for fear of the animals spreading the deadly Middle East Respiratory Syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV). Makkah daily reported that it had noticed a vigorous return of the pens in several districts of Jeddah and along the highways without any supervision or control by the concerned authorities. A number of residents expressed fear that the presence of camel pens near their homes would pose a danger to their lives. They called for immediate demolition of the pens recalling that Jeddah Gov. Prince Mishal Bin Majed has instructed to remove the pens from the city. Abdul Malik Al-Junaidi, chairman of Jeddah Municipal Council, said they had agreed with the governor to shift the pens to the fodder and wood markets on the city's outskirts. "The municipality has not done much to implement the governor's instructions and the pens have returned to the locations from where they were kicked out," he said. Municipality spokesman Mohammed Al-Baqami said they had demolished 500 camel pens about a month ago and would continue to watch for them. He said teams from the municipality and the police are conducting continuous field tours to ensure that there are no camel pens within the city limits.
