AUGUST 2018
THE SPECTACULAR GECKO NOURA AL KETBI
Completed 80 buildings for the Zoo
Experience Dining with Lions
AUGUST 2018 EVENTS
A free space for the wonders of light and lens, that we leave up to the visitors’ and webpage surfers’ creativity. Share your picture with us, and let it speak for you. Please send the photographs to zoolife@alainzoo.ae
Abu Dhabi 6 – 15 AUG Nickelodeon Experience Marina Mall
UNTIL 13 AUG Abu Dhabi Sports Festival 2018 Zayed Sport City
16 – 18 AUG Sparkles of India Du Forum
UNTIL 31 AUG ‘Around the World’ Summer Programme
Al Bahia Library, Al Wathba Library, Zayed Central Library, Marfa Library, Mazyad Library, Khalifa Park Library
Al Ain UNTIL 13 AUG Around the World Like skilled ballet dancers, we glide through the water of the pure safari pond, calm and assured of our elegance as it is reflected in the ripples of the water. We glance at the photographer to encourage him to take a picture that shows our beauty. Taken by: Mohamed Nour Samine
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Bawadi Mall
OUR TEAM Cultural guides at the Sheikh Zayed Desert Learning Centre. A legacy of authenticity and hospitality The role of the cultural guide at the Sheikh Zayed Desert Learning Centre is essential for visitors’ knowledge and considered as a national representation of the UAE. The cultural guide is a source of information that contributes to conveying the past, present and future of Abu Dhabi to visitors by introducing them to different galleries in the centre. To begin with, the centre welcomes visitors in the reception area from where
they can go on a tour to visit five galleries, the Sheikh Zayed Tribute Hall, Abu Dhabi’s Desert over Time, Abu Dhabi’s Living World, People of the Desert and Looking to the Future. The tour also includes the immersive theater, the sustainability theater and the Visions of the Arabian Desert film. The cultural guide team is armed with a variety of communication skills: knowledge, language and traditional UAE hospitality. They
are a national cadre that is capable of representing the UAE’s culture for visitors. Al Ain Zoo has been keen to empower Emiratis in the profession of cultural guidance through training courses and special programmes to grant a tourist guide license. Conveying the heritage and history of the UAE to visitors, the cultural guide is a spokesperson for every individual in the UAE and the best in delivering the image of the UAE to all visitors.
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My Story
Depo the baby Hippo My name is Depo. I know it is a nice name and suitable for my size. If you think I’m huge, it’s because I am compared to you, but I look tiny compared to my father who weighs 3 tons. Were you amongst the visitors who witnessed the moment of my birth? My mother gave birth to me in front of many visitors, many camera lenses rushed to take snapshots to save this precious moment; I was really shy back then. I stayed by my mother’s side in the preliminary days, however I wasn’t able to get to know anyone, not even the guard of my current home; although he supported my mother during her pregnancy. When I was more confident I decided to meet everyone, the first was my father who encouraged me to jump in the water showing off my beauty to the visitors and
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their kids as they watched me with amazement. I love playing in the water very much, and my mother says that this is the largest pond she has ever seen, not to mention my dance routines under the water shower every morning. Surrounding my house are pink and purple flowers and our neighbors are Mr. Alligator and his wife who shows off her sharp teeth. She believes that the red substance covering my body is a result of me not showering enough, although I keep telling her that this red substance not only protects me from the heat of the sun, but also moisturizes my body and protects it from germs. Let’s stop talking about Mrs. Alligator for now; I really want to see you all. Visit me at Al Ain Zoo, and I promise to show you all my dance moves!
Hippopotamuses at Al Ain Zoo are provided with the utmost care in a unique facility which has the first automatic water filtration system in the Middle East, in a 740 cubic meter pure water basin. Hippos are considered to be predatory mammals with a very thick epidermis reaching up to 50 mm, which is 20 times thicker than human skin. The hippopotamus can travel over 10 km on land at night as it searches for grass, consuming up to 35 kg a day, at a speed faster than the average running speed of a human. ZooLife, Al Ain Zoo | August 2018 | 5
the observer
Coordination meeting for the establishment of the Emirati Zoos & Aquariums Group
Eid Al Adha Activities
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14 Aug 2018
21 - 23 Aug 2018
experiences Experience the adventure of dining with lions A new and exciting experience is being introduced to Al Ain Safari, the world’s first man-made African safari, where now Al Ain city visitors can dine a few meters away from members of the Lion Kingdom in a well-appointed location comparable to five-star hotel services. The experience includes a wonderful feast accompanied by the lions, while preserving the privacy of the animals in their wild habitat and adhering to the universal principles of animal rights and human safety, ensuring a safe and very clear view of the King of the Jungle as he shares a meal with his guests. The experience begins (with a maximum of six visitors or a minimum of four, all over the age of 13 years) at the exclusive Al Maha
Royal lounge, where the Emirati tour guide will accompany his guests as they enjoy an exciting trip to evening camps with subdued lighting surrounded by depictions of wildlife scenes. Visitors will also learn details of the wildlife and the way lions attack their prey. Once visitors arrive at the site of the dining experience, they will be served dinner on a huge table arranged on a wooden platform overlooking the lions’ den. The meal includes a delicious variety of food and beverage options that are pre-selected by visitors and are prepared on-site by specialized chefs.
Al Ain Zoo seeks to develop Al Ain Safari with this exciting new experience established by the Zoo, where future experiences will not only include admiring the lions close up and having dinner but also allowing visitors to feed them. The experience can be booked online through www.alainzoo.ae or by contacting 800966, which requires confirmation of prepaid bookings within 48 hours. This experience is especially recommended for the cooler months (1 November - 30 April) or depending on the weather.
The Zoo has recently witnessed the birth of new lion cubs, increasing the number of lions at the Safari to 11 out of a total of 27 lions in the Zoo distributed between the Safari and the Big Cat Oasis
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Animal life
The Spectacular Gecko
Uses fog to stay hydrated and scares its predators with its tail 8 | ZooLife, Al Ain Zoo | August 2018
The gecko is one of the highly endangered species that inhabit Iran, southwestern Afghanistan, western Pakistan and the United Arab Emirates. Geckos prefer narrow strips of coastal dunes as a place to live where they enjoy the morning mist every day. They live in burrows up to 40 cm deep, which provide shelter during the summer and winter seasons. Features The gecko is one of the largest and most distinguished species in its habitation. It has a wide head, long and strong limbs, and the adults are yellowish orange. It also has some dark and white spots on the sides of the abdomen; but the most distinguished part of the gecko is its large eyes, which is why it is also sometimes known as “The Frogeyed Gecko”. Unlike many other types of lizard, the spectacular gecko lacks skin texture that acts like pillows on its toes to help in climbing. Instead, its toes contain comb-shaped protrusions that allow the gecko to move more easily in sandy habitats. The gecko shakes its tail to intimidate its predators, absorbs
moisture through its thin skin and can survive for days without food or water. Food There is not much information about the diet and breeding of the gecko in its natural habitat. However, it is known that geckos can live in zoos for a period of 17 to 23 years and may feed on different types of insects such as cockroaches and locusts, as well as worms. Breeding Programme The first breeding programme for the spectacular gecko started at Al Ain Zoo in 2017 in cooperation with the Environment Agency Abu Dhabi, when we started to reproduce four pairs donated by the agency. We aim to carry out more of these breeding programmes to conduct studies and research, in order to learn more about the gecko’s behavior, diet and reproduction methods. Fortunately, the pairs matched and we have recently welcomed a number of baby geckos and are expecting more in the future.
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He ended the suffering of the people of Al Ain, freeing them from those who controlled the water supply by directing a large number of wells to be dug, aiding the people and allowing everyone to enjoy the blessing without dispute. Under his wise leadership, Al Ain became an oasis, where blessings spread across its territory, prompting large numbers of people to move there to live a safe and secure life. The late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan 10 | ZooLife, Al Ain Zoo | August 2018
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Instagraming
alainzoouae Welcome to the world baby Barbary Sheep
403 likes
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Places
Abu Dhabi’s Living World Sheikh Zayed Desert Learning Centre Series Our tour continues at the Sheikh Zayed Desert Learning Centre. Today we stand at the Abu Dhabi’s Living World gallery, which embodies the emirate’s unique and vibrant environment. Here you can see masterpieces of nature created across many locations in our country. There are rippled dunes, flat tidal sands, high peaks and sea water. This gallery shows that Abu Dhabi’s environment is not just desert, but also rich in plant life and animal diversity, where these organisms have been able to cope in the harsh desert conditions with innate methodologies that ensured their survival and continuity of life. You will see in the Abu Dhabi’s Living World gallery that considerable research and field
surveys have been carried out to discover the nature of life and how protected reserves established by the government have helped in the process of preserving the environment and propagating certain endangered species such as the Houbara and Arabian Oryx, for whose preservation the Al Ain Zoo was originally established. At the gallery you will learn about the lives of diurnal and nocturnal animals and others that have adapted to living in both night and day together. Towards the end of the gallery, you will learn about the Ghaf tree, which has been, and remains, an environmental heritage of the region, as recommended by the late founder of the UAE, Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan who stressed the importance of preservation of the region’s flora
and fauna, ensuring sustainable urban development in the city of Al Ain. The Abu Dhabi’s Living World gallery also presents a model of the coastline of Abu Dhabi, which is the longest in the UAE. This model shows the diversity of trees along the coast, its swamps and marshes, an integrated and rich natural life system which supports migratory birds of many types. Some of which have settled in the UAE, such as the flamingos. One of the best experiences in the gallery is a unique and innovatively designed feature that gives a glimpse of desert life. If you put your head inside the glass structure you will experience wildlife in all its details as if you were one of the animals that live in burrows.
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Our Experts Numbers are her creative tools and the language that she enjoys. She has been able to help in the construction of more than 80 buildings at Al Ain Zoo.
Noura Al Ketbi
“Fieldwork is an exciting experience and young people must be more aware in choosing their career future.” Noura Al Ketbi
Our colleague, Noura Obaid Al Ketbi, is a Technician CAD in the Facilities Management department at Al Ain Zoo. Numbers play an important factor in her life. She used to measure in meters, then in laser meters, and now she uses just her eyes to determine the dimensions of the site and the computation requirements. Numbers are her creative tools and the language that she enjoys. She has been able to help in the construction of more than 80 buildings in Al Ain Zoo. Noura has the rare creative ability of reading the angles of buildings and measuring them with her eyes, competing with measuring and challenging architecture engineers. She joined Al Ain Zoo five years ago after graduating from the Abu Dhabi Vocational Education & Training Institute in Al Ain and was part of the first batch received by Al Ain Zoo. Noura has contributed her skills to the establishment of many Zoo’s buildings. She works passionately and learns from everything that is available to her. She believes that unconditional knowledge and giving are a responsibility which should be carried out by every Emirati to serve the country and maintain its growth in whichever field that may be. Tell us about your beginnings with Engineering Drawing? “At the beginning of my studies I had enrolled in the electrical engineering department. We were given the chance to study in each department for a week to be able to decide the
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right field for us and the week that I dedicated to engineering drawing lectures made a huge difference in my decision making and so I found myself in this field. I am proud to be one of the the first graduating batch received by Al Ain Zoo. What is it like working at the Zoo? “I did not start working immediately as I was a trainee and a volunteer for six months. I completed work on 30 buildings even though I was assigned to work on only six. I never expected to train at Al Ain Zoo and I was unsure of what the work nature would be there. But after I joined, I saw a lot of great efforts being made that many people don’t know about, and it became an honor for me to be part of these achievements. I do not think there is a more cooperative team than the Facilities Management Team, capable of embracing such a human cadre, whether of staff or trainees. The head of the control department, Ms. Carla, who supervised my training, was ready to learn the Arabic language in honor of my efforts and devotion to my work. No one hesitated to help me throughout my training period and this attitude carries on today.”
to complete six buildings in one month. It certainly required a lot of effort and work, but I enjoyed every measurement, every step, and every imaginable geometric calculation in these buildings, and every time I see them now, I recognise my ambition in them.” Where do you get all this passion and enthusiasm, most young people find it difficult and might not appreciate field work? She answered laughing: “You may be surprised to find out that I also have a passion for agriculture in all its phases. I start by examining the soil, digging and looking after seeds and plants until they grow to become ripe trees. I love charity work and I like to help without being asked. Interests and hobbies vary from one person to another and it is unusual to love
something that is not appreciated or practiced by many. I think this makes some employees more distinctive than others, and this is why I work on developing and refining my hobby, making it more fun and interesting. Some think that the percentage of Emirati youth interested in the field may not exceed 20%, I say that this is a misconception that should be corrected.” She concluded with some sound advice: “All young people today must look carefully into their career future and the requirements of the market before choosing their field when joining university. They should be aware of what their career choices require, by reading, researching and studying, and asking for advice from specialists.”
You have worked on more than 80 buildings, is there any one of these that you are particularly proud of? “All the buildings were given all my effort and love, but there is the Financial Management building that I redesigned after it was deserted for a whole year. I oversaw every little thing and put all my creativity into this building. I even suggested that our department should move in to it. I supervised everything by myself, from electrical appliances to tables and chairs and I worked hand in hand with the contractors. One of the things I was proud of when I was a trainee was that I managed ZooLife, Al Ain Zoo | August 2018 | 15
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What is the largest bird native to Australia?
If a gecko accidentally loses its tail it has the ability to grow a new one
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July Edition Question
How many galleries does the Sheikh Zayed Desert Learning Centre include?
When was the opening of the Hippo & Croc exhibit? November 2017
Send your answers to zoolife@alainzoo.ae and see if you got the right answers!
Sustainable Energy The Sheikh Zayed Desert Learning Centre covers a total area of 12,500 square meters. The centre uses solar energy to generate electricity, which in turn contributes to reducing the consumption of electric power from generators by more than the expected rate of 68%.
Solar Panels 18 | ZooLife, Al Ain Zoo | August 2018
“You were not created to diminish, but to be more prosperous, to be brighter, to be unique, and to take advantage of every moment to satisfy yourself� ZooLife, Al Ain Zoo | August 2018 | 19