Dubai: A Dubai Municipality official assured the public that the incident when a pupil was bitten by a snake in Mushrif Park recently was an isolated one that should not be blown out of proportion.
Ahmad Abdul Kareem, head of Public Parks and Horticulture at Dubai Municipality, said the department carried out regular surveys of the park to find any pests or reptiles, due to the park's proximity to the wildlife reserve. The child, who was bitten while on a school trip to the park, has since recovered and left the hospital.
No clinic
A school administrator accompanying the pupils on the trip claimed that the boy, who is a pupil in the second grade, was bitten while he was playing at the children's area, and was not close to the natural reserve.
There was no clinic or nurse at the park to take care of the child, and he had to be taken to a hospital. "Unlike other parks, Mushrif Park is a wildlife park and the natural reserve next to it means many animals such as birds, rabbits and cats live nearby," Abdul Kareem said.
"All locations inside the park are routinely surveyed to ensure the protection of natural life and the safety of visitors," he said.
"The development of native life forms in the reserve is closely monitored by us, and no visitors are allowed in since it is a closed area," he added.
