Al Ain Zoo
حَدِيْقَة ٱلْحَيْوَانَات بِٱلْعَيْن
Al Ain zoo entrance
24°10′33.89″N 55°44′18.57″E / 24.1760806°N 55.7384917°E / 24.1760806; 55.7384917
Date openedNovember 25, 1968 (1968-11-25)
LocationAl Ain, Eastern Region of the Emirate of Abu Dhabi, the UAE
Land area400 ha (990 acres)
Websitewww.alainzoo.ae

Al Ain Zoo (Arabic: حَدِيْقَة ٱلْحَيْوَانَات بِٱلْعَيْن, romanized: Ḥadīqat Ḥaywānāt Bil-ʿAyn), also "Al Ain Wildlife Park & Resort"[1][2] or simply "Al Ain Wildlife Park" (Arabic: مُتَنَزَّه ٱلْعَيْن لِلْحَيَاة ٱلْبَرِيَّة, romanized: Mutanazzah Al-ʿAyn Lil-Ḥayāt Al-Bariyyah),[3][4][5] is a 400-hectare (990-acre) zoo located in the foothills of Jebel Hafeet in Al Ain, Abu Dhabi, the United Arab Emirates. It is primarily composed of ungulates and herbivores such as Arabian antelopes. It also holds oryx, eland, gazelle, and lechwe. The Al Ain Zoo hosts the rare white lion and Nubian giraffe.[6]

History and fauna

An Arabian leopard. Leopards had been present in the area of Jebel Hafeet in the 20th century.[7][8]

The zoo was founded in 1968 by Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, the late Ruler of Abu Dhabi and President of the United Arab Emirates, out of concern for the land's wildlife, particularly ungulates such as the Arabian oryx.[9][10]

The zoo features a big cat house. Lions, mountain lions, jaguars,[2] black panther and spotted leopards are found here. In addition to this, it also has a reptile house, monkey compounds, an aquarium, and an aviary. From February 2010 until July 2010, the Al Ain Zoo hosted the "Dinosaur Trail," a small section that includes around 15 to 20 mechanical dinosaurs with sensors, such as Tyrannosaurus rex, as well as information about the dinosaur, such as when they lived, which parts of the current world they would have been found in, and their height and diet, for example.

In April 2019,[11] the zoo was preparing to expand with work on its perimeters going on at the moment in order to build new sites such as the conservation and breeding centre, African Safari, World Desert Zoo, and the Sheikh Zayed Desert Learning Centre.[3][4]

The zoo is taking all possible steps to conserve the Rhinoceros, which is an endangered species on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List by following the international global breeding practices and raising awareness of the importance of wildlife conservation.[12]

The zoo has implemented a series of initiatives to acquire and exchange a number of animals with Dubai Safari Park. The initiative includes the exchange of Rhinoceroses, Arabian Sand Cats, Blue Wildebeests and a number of reptile species,thath have been transferred as part of breeding plans and to enhance the variety of species at both zoos.[13]

In March 2022, the World Association of Zoos and Aquariums released a position statement regarding the intention of WAZA member Al Ain Zoo to import wild African Elephants from Namibia. The WAZA Code of Ethics acknowledges that, from time to time, acquisitions from the wild are necessary based on a legitimate need for conservation breeding programs, education programs, or basic biological studies. However, in the case of Al Ain Zoo's intention to import wild African Elephants from Namibia, WAZA has examined the information provided by this zoological institution and others and has not been able to determine whether the requirements of WAZA's Code of Ethics are met. As a result, Al Ain zoo is no longer a WAZA member.[14]

On September 15, 2022, the European Association of Zoos and Aquaria (EAZA) announced the termination of the membership of Al Ain Zoo in the United Arab Emirates. The zoo’s membership ended on December 31, 2022, following the decision of the EAZA Council that EAZA can no longer reasonably be expected to allow the institution to remain a Member. The decision comes after careful examination of evidence related to importing wild-caught African elephants from Namibia, which the Council agreed constituted multiple breaches of EAZA Codes and Standards. [15]


See also

References

  1. ↑ Forte, Pauline M. (2010-05-22). "Al Ain Wildlife Park: A night at the zoo". Retrieved 2019-04-14.
  2. 1 2 "Al Ain". The Report Abu Dhabi 2010. Oxford Business Group. 2010. pp. 171–176. ISBN 978-1-9070-6521-7.
  3. 1 2 Dāwūd, Muḥammad (2010-03-04). "منتزه العين يؤمن حياة كائنات مهددة بالانقراض" (in Arabic). Al-Bayan. Retrieved 2019-04-14.
  4. 1 2 Sanad, ʿAzzah (2010-04-09). "متنزه العين للحياة البرية بيئة تنبض بالجمال" (in Arabic). Al Ain: Al-Khaleej. Retrieved 2019-04-14.
  5. ↑ "افتتاح متنزه الحياة البرية بحديقة الحيوانات بالعين". WAM (in Arabic). Al-Ittihad. 2017-04-20. Retrieved 2019-04-14.
  6. ↑ "Al Ain". The Rough Guide to Dubai. Rough Guides UK. 2016-11-01. ISBN 978-0-2412-9864-0.
  7. ↑ Edmonds, J.-A.; Budd, K. J.; Al Midfa, A. & Gross, C. (2006). "Status of the Arabian Leopard in United Arab Emirates" (PDF). Cat News (Special Issue 1): 33–39.
  8. ↑ Spalton, J. A. & Al-Hikmani, H. M. (2006). "The Leopard in the Arabian Peninsula – Distribution and Subspecies Status" (PDF). Cat News (Special Issue 1): 4–8.
  9. ↑ "History". Al Ain Zoo. Retrieved 2019-03-18.
  10. ↑ "Overview". Al Ain Zoo. Retrieved 2019-03-18.
  11. ↑ Bridge, Sam (2019-04-13). "Al Ain Zoo plans major projects in tourism push". Arabian Business. Retrieved 2019-04-15.
  12. ↑ "Al Ain Zoo to further push its rhino conservation efforts". The Brew. 2021-09-29. Retrieved 2022-04-23.
  13. ↑ "Al Ain Zoo exchanges animals with Dubai Safari Park as part of their joint breeding plans". The Brew. 2022-03-18. Retrieved 2022-04-23.
  14. ↑ https://www.waza.org/news/position-statement-on-export-of-wild-african-elephants/
  15. ↑ https://www.eaza.net/assets/Uploads/2022-12-09-EAZA-Statement-on-Al-Ain-TerminationFINAL.pdf
  16. ↑ WAM (2017-09-13). "EAD raises awareness on Abu Dhabi's natural heritage at ADIHEX 2017". The Gulf Today. Archived from the original on 2018-03-30. Retrieved 2018-03-30.
  17. ↑ De Leon, J. P. (2014-05-26). "100th Arabian tahr, and twin tahrs welcomed in Al Ain". Gulf News. Retrieved 2018-04-03.
  18. ↑ "Newborn Arabian tahr discovered on Jebel Hafeet". The National. 2015-03-12. Retrieved 2018-03-30.
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