March 2019
“Visitors consider my fluency in Urdu a privilege”
Nasser Al Dhaheri Our new short story... “Journey Of Water”
Rothschild's Giraffe
UPCOMING EVENTS IN APRIL 2019 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 03 - 06 APR FIA World Rally Cross Abu Dhabi 2019 Yas Marina Circuit
19 APR
Ran Jia - Solo Piano Recital Manarat Al Saadiyat
20 - 26 APR
Abu Dhabi World Professional Jiu-Jitsu Championship 2019 Mubadala Arena
12 - 23 APR
Mother of the Nation Festival Abu Dhabi Corniche
26 APR
Andria Bocelli Live On Yas Island Around Abu Dhabi
26 APR
Hooray for Hollywood Emirates Palace
Although it weighs tons, and his thick folded skin seems like a block of rock, the Rhino moves about in our Zoo with surprising agility and lightness, while our visitor is ready to take this rare shot - regardless of the fuss that will be made by the rhino as it heads back to the land.
Al Ain
By: Mario Cardenas
Spring Camp
31 MAR - 11 APR Al Ain Zoo
7 - 16 APR
Herfati Programme - Talli Al Ain Palace Museum
2 | ZooLife, Al Ain Zoo | March 2019
OUR TEAM
Warehouse & Stores Al Ain Zoo has many distinguished teams, including the Warehouse Team, which is one of the most important departments as it is responsible for providing all the services required by the organization regarding the receiving, delivering and distribution of goods. The team performs various tasks, such as receiving materials from suppliers, which are requested by internal. Materials received are examined and approved by the concerned department and then delivered directly or stored in warehouses and stores if they fall under the stored materials classification. The department receives approximately 2 million items during the year. The warehouses and stores team reviews all purchase requests for materials related to the organization. The quantities requested are reviewed compared to the stock level. Budgets are updated and the requirements
are approved. They handle approximately 2,000 orders during the year. The team is also responsible for distribution of the materials to all departments through warehouses and stores, by preparing them and advising the concerned department about the receipt of the materials, which amount to approximately 2 million items during the year.
all departments of materials consumed or requested and budget via a quarterly report. This report helps to assess the level of change in the inventory and determines the required budget.
The annual inventory process is very important. It requires precision as the inventory differences are adjusted based on the recorded inventory through various committees, such as the Finance Committee, the End User Committee (the departments concerned with stored materials), the Department of Warehouses and Stores, and the Auditing Committee. The team also monitors slow moving materials, prepares reports of any damage and informs ZooLife, Al Ain Zoo | March 2019 | 3
SHORT Story
Journey Of Water Written by: Seetha Lekshmi Kishore Third Place winner in the Short Story Writing Competition 2018 Category: 8 - 10 years
4 | ZooLife, Al Ain Zoo | March 2019
I am a drop of water and a part of the steaming sea. One day, I was not able to bear the burning heat of the sun. So, I decided to evaporate. On reaching the upper layers, I condensed and formed clouds. It was calm and quite till a big and fast Falcon came running towards me, it tried to hide in my body. Then swift Rockets made holes in my body. For the next second I was floating as a cloud, it was very beautiful from up in the sky. I saw people playing, students learning and lot of villages, but some dry without any water and some were full of plants. I thought I was more needed by the dry village...There was complete silence which
was creepy. Then suddenly something hit me; it was a sort of a cloud fight. But I was relieved because it was my silly friends from the sea. They wanted to join me for the adventurous trip. But by joining together we became too heavy to float. So, we thought to fall down as rain. On falling down, we were having fun because it was like a ride on a waterfall. But, something mysterious happened. Suddenly, a girl named Liya collected me in a cup. I was sad because the adventure had finished and my friends weren’t with me. I noticed that she was a kind girl because she had collected me in the cup to pour me on a plant. I
became very happy to see that she still plants trees. The plant grew tall, fresh and green along with me. It beared fruits that I was fond of eating always. Then, one day Liya came and plucked some of the fruits. She shared it with her parent, siblings and friends also. I felt so delightful seeing that she shared it with everyone. After eating the fruits she put the seeds in the soil and again another beautiful tree grew tall. Also, birds from other places and countries came to her house as a way of migration and took some of the fruits and flew back. Everyone like her family, friends, neighbors and animals were very pleased with her because of her kindness.
They also started to do like Liya, after some days the full village was busy in planting trees. They were talking about the way Liya saved water and planted trees. This became a habit of her and the villagers. They always collected the rain drops and poured it on plants. This made the water realize how important we were to all plants, animals and humans. And every drop of water has a piece of the Earth. So, we should save water and everyone should plant more trees. We should also know the magic of one single plant can do.
ZooLife, Al Ain Zoo | March 2019 | 5
the observer
Flame of Hope & Special Olympics | 11 March 2019
Culture & Environment Forum | 07 March 2019
6 | ZooLife, Al Ain Zoo | March 2019
experiences
Parrot Show This is one of the most beautiful and attractive shows in Al Ain Zoo favored by visitors both young and adults. The blue-winged parrots and cockatoos show their intelligence and talent with numbers, playing basketball and climbing ropes, engaging with our happy visitors. The show takes place on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays at 3:45 pm in the parrot show tent. Visitors can get more information regarding the show by contacting the call centre. ZooLife, Al Ain Zoo | March 2019 | 7
Animal life
Rothschild's Giraffe
8 | ZooLife, Al Ain Zoo | March 2019
Rothschild’s giraffe [Giraffa] is a species of Africa’s even-toed ungulate and the undisputed tallest wild animal. The species is known as “Camelopardalis” or “camel leopard” because of the camel-colored patches on their bodies that makes them look similar to a leopard’s spots.
Characteristics The giraffe is characterized by its long neckline and legs, as well as the horn-like protrusions on its head and its various designs of fur. It has a length of 5 to 6 meters and an average weight of about 1,600 kg for males and 830 kg for females.
reason at any time, while the female usually lives in herds of ten or more individuals. It is worth noting that a herd of giraffes has no leader, and despite their wide spread across their home range, giraffes remain in contact and control to protect themselves from predators.
Country of Origin The giraffe lives in harsh arid places in central, eastern and southern Africa, and in savannah woodland. They feed on foliage among the treetops having evolved to reach plants that are not accessible to other herbivores, allowing them to live in regions for long periods even after the ground plants disappear. The giraffe can also go several days without the need to drink water as it obtains many nutrients from its leafy diet.
Feeding The giraffes depend mainly on acacia leaves for food, which are found at heights that other herbivores cannot reach, but they can be traditional prey of lions and the young ones are also targeted by leopards, hyenas and wild dogs.
Breeding season The giraffe's gestation period is fourteen to fifteen months. A giraffe usually gives birth to only one baby in each gestation in order to preserve the safety of the mother and the little one, as taking care of more than one baby would be stressful for the mother.
Family The male giraffe tends to live alone and may join an adult male herd or dissociate for no apparent
Life Span The giraffe can live for 20 to 25 years in the wild and up to 28 years in captivity.
ZooLife, Al Ain Zoo | March 2019 | 9
"We look forward to contributing to building societies that believe in the value of tolerance, openness and intercultural dialogue, and establishing real models to improve the reality of tolerance, at both regional and international levels"
Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan
10 | ZooLife, Al Ain Zoo | March 2019
In 1977, the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan welcomed the Bishop of the Catholic Church in the Arabian
Peninsula
and
received
a
message
from
Pope Paul VI on the occasion of World Peace Day. It was about strengthening cooperation and peace between the Islamic and Christian worlds.
ZooLife, Al Ain Zoo | March 2019 | 11
Instagraming
alainzoouae Congratulations on our new baby Arabian Gazelle 968 likes
12 | ZooLife, Al Ain Zoo | March 2019
Conservation
Wildlife conservation is a lifeline! Wildlife conservation is the very essence of Al Ain Zoo and its desired goals for which it was established in 1968. So, what is conservation? And what motivates us to exert ourselves and harness both local and global potentials for it? Did you know that the Earth has lost more than half of its wildlife population since the 1970s?! Humans have been the main reason behind the extinction of about 750 species; mostly caused by the increase in the human population from 1 billion to 7 billion in 200 years and individuals meeting their basic and luxury needs to survive while threatening the lives of other species. The consumption of natural resources such as water, fuel, plants, animals and even air, has increased through our excessive use of electricity, cars, mobile phones, construction, industries and the production of every commodity we buy, use and destroy.
people around the world rely entirely on herbal therapy.
In the past, humans lived in coherence with nature without causing too much damage or destruction. They planted, ate, hunted, built their houses and moved according to their needs only because they realized that nature provided them with food, medicine, water, purity, shade, warmth and light.
For millennia, the universe has existed in harmony. Trees produce oxygen, purify water and prevent soil erosion, while fungus and birds of prey remove dead plants and animals to help keep the environment clean. Even small insects contribute to pollinating crops, and there are many other examples of the balance of nature. Humans, however, consume resources without thinking where they come from or how they were produced.
Take medicine, for example: 50% of the drugs we use are extracted directly from plants, and scientific facts confirm that over 60% of
The undeniable fact is that whenever we destroy nature, we hurt ourselves. We should not consider the value of the
environment solely from our personal perspective, because all the living things on this planet have the right to exist, and since humans are the most intelligent and advanced creatures on earth, the greatest responsibility lies with them to protect the environment. We must recognize that the wildlife conservation is the lifeline for the continuation of life on earth, and therefore we must save the endangered species, protect and restore the various natural environments and wildlife. It is a cycle of life or death: we decide.
ZooLife, Al Ain Zoo | March 2019 | 13
Our Experts
Al Ain Zoo is a unique place for creativity and generosity Nasser Abdulla Al Dhaheri “Visitors consider my fluency in Urdu an additional privilege offered by the Zoo” Nasser Al Dhaheri
“The Zoo has given me the ability to be creative and generous. It is a unique world of wildlife wonders that only a person who has lived and mastered is able to deal with.” This is what our colleague Nasser Al Dhaheri, Safari Guide, says about Al Ain Zoo, which he joined seven years ago. He started in the ticket office and then moved to the Safari to start a journey of curiosity, passion and creativity - with himself first and then with visitors. He proudly said, “I found my passion in the Zoo and also my ability to achieve creativity and generosity, especially as there are many jobs in the administration field and technical disciplines. In addition, it has nontraditional occupations different from any other governmental institutions, such as taking care of animals, protecting them from extinction and dealing with multiple cultures of society.” How do you find work at Al Ain Safari? “The beauty of the journey where I accompany visitors is not limited to them alone, as I am also enjoying every time, accompanying them on a distinctive wild tour for a full hour, where I explain to them the safari details which represent the real environment of the wilds of Africa." "The nature of my work as a tour guide at the Al Ain Safari introduces me to many visitors and tourists of different nationalities; it consequently makes accuracy and clarity an important aspect of my work in terms of explaining information and
14 | ZooLife, Al Ain Zoo | March 2019
responding to queries.” What are the qualities of a distinguished safari guide? "The tourist and cultural guide plays an important role in the place where he works, so he has to be very gentle in dealing with people. He or she should be as if a window through which tourists can sees every aspect of the place and learn the details of everything. One also has to take care of the culture and knowledge, specifically the knowledge of the Zoo and Safari, in a way that is pleasant and enjoyable for visitors, in order to encourage them to come back again.” How does your guidance style affects visitor? “Every time visitors come back, I feel very happy to see the results of my work, and they always assure me that the Safari has become an ideal touristic and cultural destination for them. They encourage exploration enthusiasts and those who wish to go on safari trips to visit Al Ain Safari and enjoy the opportunity to see African wildlife closely as if in their original environment. "As a guide at Al Ain Safari, I take
full responsibility for the visitors. My colleagues and I are ambassadors and this requires a good attitude, tactful style in response to questions and sufficient knowledge to give the visitor a complete idea of the activities and entertainment offered by Al Ain Zoo to Safari visitors.” We heard that you speak Urdu, what is the impact of this on you and visitors? Nasser smiled timidly and said, “Visitors feels happy when I speak to them in their own language, English or Urdu, and they consider it to be an additional privilege offered by Al Ain Zoo with the Safari tour, because language is an important tool that brings you closer with others and makes them more flexible in accepting your presence. My proficiency in Urdu has helped me to get closer to visitors and to treat them with spontaneity that pleased them, at the same time enabling me to give the information smoothly.” Tell us about your proficiency in Urdu and how you learned it? “It is one of the 22 main Indian languages, and is a common language of India and Pakistan, so it is understood by most of the south
Asian countries. When visitors come from one of those countries, I find it very easy to communicate with them and they find comfort and happiness in talking to me." "I learned Urdu when I was young. The son of our Pakistani neighbour was in a school that required him to learn the Arabic language. So he came to our house to learn Arabic and he taught me Urdu in return, he is now fluent in Arabic." You seem to like seeking opportunities, what do you think the future hold for you? "On a professional level, knowledge and culture are cornerstones of tourism work, particularly for a visitor who does not have much information about Al Ain Zoo, Safari or the UAE in general, which requires me to develop my potential through reading and research in the wide world of tourism." "For the personal level, I wish to complete my university education and perhaps to join media studies. I would like to learn and develop myself so that I can constantly add something new to my life and be always different and unique.”
ZooLife, Al Ain Zoo | March 2019 | 15
MEDIA
16 | ZooLife, Al Ain Zoo | March 2019
ZooLife, Al Ain Zoo | March 2019 | 17
استمتع بالتلوين!
Colour !me
ساعد زعفرانة للوصول إلى غذائها...
Help Zafarana get to her lunch...
تعتبر أرجل الزرافة أطول عن !معظم طول البشر
The giraffe's legs alone are taller than many humans!
أوريجامي
Origami
إعالمنا
وجوه
صون الطبيعة
انستغرام
في حديقتنا