BIRD FLU - NOW IT'S FOR REAL

Now it's serious! Bird Flu has killed a rare leopard in a Thai zoo. It's one thing when it's killing people, after all there are 6 billion of us so a few more or less won't make much difference, but rare leopards are another thing altogether. The same zoo also has a tiger which is apparently recovering from the same virus. These animals are struggling enough (imagine what life in a Thai zoo must be like) without having to deal with bird flu.

This does however raise an interesting question. How do we know it's bird flu that has jumped to animals and humans? Perhaps it's cat flu that has jumped to birds?

If so then perhaps we are culling the wrong things? Perhaps we should be having another go at civet cats? After all Asian Governments seem to enjoy killing civet cats at the drop of a hat. I predict it's only a matter of time before they are being slaughtered needlessly again.

Oh yes, and someone in Vietnam is infected too.

(And before someone gets smart on the comments page, I would like to point out that I am aware that civet cats are not in fact cats)