مجلة حديقة الحيوانات بالعين "زوولايف" 2020\ ZooLife June Edition 2020

JUNE 2020

Serval... A cat loves to swim and jumps to catch birds

Cave of Jebel Hafeet... tells stories from millions of years READ ALSO:

Sudan: My Horn Is Expensive And Made Of Keratin And Calcium.

Henna.. Women’s Beauty And Treatment For Infections

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VISITOR LENS CONTENT

White lions are a colour form of the African Lion and not a spate species. They are not albinos. Instead, the white colour is caused by a recessive gene known as chinchilla or colour inhibitor. The populations of a wild lion in Africa are rapidly declining because of habitat loss and hunting.

Photo by: Ashif P

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05 EXPERIENCE

06-07 PLANTS

13-14 MEET OUR CELEBRITIES

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our team

Environment, Health and Safety Team...

A Protector The Environment, Health and Safety (EHS) Team is a fundamental pillar and an important part of the institutional work, always eager to ensure applying the occupational health and safety rules and regulations, in order to protect workers from potential hazards and to protect work facilities from any damages.

The EHS team believes that Al Ain Zoo’s cadres are the foundation of economic and social development and it is the most important side of the production triangle, which consists of employees, work equipment, and work environment. That is why it is necessary to provide a problem-free work environment to keep up employees’ productivity.

The EHS team also works on inspecting projects, work sites, Zoo facilities and checking health and safety standards, as well as, investigating accidents. EHS team also checks and monitors the safety equipment periodically, including first aid, fire extinguishers and fire detectors, because of their importance in achieving occupational safety and minimizing the damages caused by any accidents in the work environment.

Externally, the EHS team works on monitoring and organizing work orders for Zoo suppliers and service providers, through reviewing the requirements of health and safety, and providing the necessary guidance. The EHS team is keen on providing specialized training for the Zoo

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employees, including evacuation of buildings in case of fire or any other hazards that threaten the safety of the workers within the facility.

The EHS team has played an effective role in helping the Sheikh Zayed Desert Learning Centre receive the LEED Platinum rating, making it the first in Abu Dhabi to achieve the highest sustainability rating and an example for future projects to follow.

The EHS team is keen on committing to sustainability requirements in the Sheikh Zayed Desert Learning Centre during the operational stage and monitoring the consumption of water and electricity in both, the Sheikh Zayed Desert Learning Centre and the Zoo. It also raises awareness among visitors and the public about the importance to preserving and sustaining the environment, through awareness campaigns and other activities.

The EHS team also assists in the Zoo waste management, by monitoring its quantities, recycling and following environmental waste disposal procedures.

Since the safety of workers is the EHS’s main goal, you will always find them available to promote health and safety standards and create a professional environment free of any hazards on human health and safety.

Experiences

Experience of entering one of the caves in Jebel Hafeet Visitors to Al Ain can’t help but gaze at the wondrous Jebel Hafeet, the mountain which has been standing in its place for millions of years. You will be mesmerized as you stand before the mountain which adds to the beauty of the city of Al Ain, being one of the highest mountains in the United Arab Emirates with a height of 1,240 meters.

So, what would it be like if we got a chance to enter one of the mountain’s mysterious caves and learn its secrets? After research and exploration, we discovered the presence of a model of one of the caves of the mountain in the sustainable landmark, the Sheikh Zayed Desert Learning Centre, located in Al Ain Zoo. We went to the centre with a lot of questions on our minds. I wonder what the cave will look like from the inside and what it contains, are there any living organisms in the area? We decide to investigate and have a look at what the rocks will tell us about the past of Al Ain City.

At the Zoo gate, we were met by a cultural guide that welcomed us with a broad smile, who then took us to the cave site and started to tell us all about it.

When we entered, we were surprised by the sight of stalactites, which are conical sedimentary deposits formed by the eons of water erosion through the top of the cave, along with fossils scattered around the heart of the site, beautiful cave paintings and educational tools. All these things contribute to the knowledge and awareness visitors to the cave can acquire.

The cave model also revealed to us the secrets of living things that still exist. There are city and vampire bats, scorpions, snakes, hedgehogs, thysanura, lizards and elusive foxes.

Jebel Hafeet is also home to the rare Arabian eagle and the globally threatened Arabian Tahr which we thought to be extinct, and surprised us to be living there to this day. The experience was beautiful and the information we learned was so much that we wanted to hear more stories about it.

The experience ended and we left the centre, but the cave paintings and painted objects remained strong in our imagination as our dreams faded away.

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Plants

Henna Family: Lythraceae Plant name: Henna Scientific name: Lawsonia inermis

Traditional uses: Henna has been a part of Arab heritage since ancient times and used henna as a hair dye and skin. Mix plant leaves with water and vinegar and used as a dressing to reduce fever and treat skin infections as well as to strengthen the skin and to cool legs and hands. The leaves are chewed to treat oral ulcers and gum infections. Used throughout the world for beauty and in India to draw forms at the hands of the bride and all the women during the joy. Henna also began to intervene in modern ornamental products.

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DESCRIPTION

A short tree or shrub tangled branches up to 300 -500 cm. The legs are formed from the elliptical leaves to the opposite shape, 1.5-4.5 x 0.5 -1.3 cm, short sitting. White floral - yellowed showing one cm flower has 4 curly petals and four triglycerides. The fruit is round, a word about a wooden box bound with a permanent cup, dimensions 0.5-0.7 x 0.3 - 0.5 cm, green to red and brown to brown black.

Flowering: From September to February.

Habitat: Can be found in farms, gardens and in some cases roadsides.

Distribution: Common in the Al Hajar Mountains and residential areas.

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at our zoo

Serval Cat

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The serval is a medium-sized African wild cat. DNA studies have shown that it is closely related to the African Golden Cat and the Caracal.

Habitat The Serval inhabits the savannah and grasslands, it was witnessed once in Morocco, Tunisia and Algeria, but this is without a confirmed sighting since 1930. The Serval prefers areas with cover such as reeds and tall grasses and proximity to water. They are good swimmers and can feed on fish as a source of food.

Features It is a slender animal, with long legs and a fairly short tail with 6 or 7 black rings, the hind legs being longer than its front legs.

The head is small in relation to the body, and the tall, oval ears are set close together. Its coat is basically golden-yellow to buff, and extensively marked with black spots and stripes. The Serval is a highly efficient hunter, using its sense of hearing to locate prey, and it can leap over 10 feet above the ground to hunt its prey. It can also make horizontal leaps up to 13 feet to catch birds.

Food Servals are carnivores, they feed on different species such as birds, rabbits, snakes, lizards, frogs and insects. When they get the chance, they hunt bigger animals like antelopes.

They eat the prey very quickly, causing it to occasionally choke due to a clogged throat.

Family life It lives on its own territory and hunts individually in the early morning or at dusk.

It usually sleeps during the midday period and sleeps for a very short time at night. In the daytime, you hardly ever see Serval cats because of its unique fur coat that allows it to camouflage and hide into his surroundings when hunting. As most cats, it often plays with its food before eating.

Lifespan Serval cats can live up to 10 years in the wild, and 20 years in captivity.

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Towards the Next 50

UAE towards the next 50 “50 years ago, the founding fathers shaped our life today, and next year, we will shape the coming five decades for the future generations.”

Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum “The year of preparation for the next fifty year, a year that, God willing, will constitute a qualitative turning point in our blessed path, we write new chapters in our accelerating economic, social and development engines to be the best in the world in the next fifty years.”

Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan.

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Short Story

Nature-On-Clock Writing by: Agam Kaur Kohli .Second place winner in the short story writing competition years 10- 8 Category

There once lived two friends. Their name was Tam and Sam. They were friendly to the environment and nature. They use to tell others not to cut trees. They motivated others not to pollute the air and not dirty the water so that we have happy, healthy earth to live in.

They also use to help others, share things, respect elders, give things to the needy. They believed nature is a beautiful gift of God, which we all should save.

One day they both planned to plant trees in a nearby forest as they heard that few people came and cut the trees. They managed to collect few saplings and all the stuff needed to plant the trees …

Just when they started planting trees, they heard a voice crying aloud … They got scared and though to call some elders… They ran towards them and told everything to their mother .. The mother said, ‘don’t worry, I will come with you both’.. they reached the same place where they had all the saplings ready to be planted.. They followed the crying voice and came to a tree next to the ocean.

All three soon realized it was the big huge tree and the ocean, which was crying. The tree said my name is Woody, and this is Mr. Blue, the famous Indian ocean…. The mother said, ’glad to meet you both’ but …why are you both so sad and crying… Please tell us .. we will try to help you ..

Both boys were quiet the entire way back home … Soon they were home … They made a presentation and made posters … The next morning they told this to everyone and motivated them not to cut trees instead grow more and more trees … They explained how important it is to keep the ocean clean ... Still the people thought that they were lying. They tried to tell them it was true, but they did not listen. So they continued cutting down trees and dirtying the water. The two boys ran to Woody and Mr. Blue. They told them how hard they tried, but no one is ready to believe them.

Both Tam and Sam thought of a plan so that they get people to see Woody and Mr. Blue by organizing a family outing. Quickly their mother agreed and called their friends & family, stating it would be great to go to the place where all of them used to go when they were kids. Most families agreed.

Next weekend, families came to the beach. Everyone was shocked to see how the water was smelling bad, with all plastics floating and was becoming black. Mom’s starting saying they used to make sandcastles when they were young, but now the sand was all covered with garbage. Mom’s starting missing the seashells they used to collect as the only thing which the sea was throwing was dead fishes; plastics and other kinds of waste.

All Dad’s started saying when we were young, there were so many trees in here, and they would climb on them, eat fruits and rest in the shade after playing. It suddenly started raining, and they had no shade as trees were cut down.

Then came food time, some dads went fishing and started the barbeque, but were shocked to see fishes having plastics inside them and were not safe to eat anymore.

All families said let us go home, then Tam, Sam and all children said we need the trees and sea like the way you had it when you were young.

This opened everyone’s eyes, and all promised to get together and grow more trees and keep our ocean clean by saying no to plastics.

Woody said in a low sad voice I am crying because I just got cut down by a woodcutter and my body is paining. I kept shouting, please don’t do this to me .. I give you oxygen to breathe, fruits to eat and some animals eat my leaves, and you use my flowers to make perfumes and ornaments, I always pay you back with shade and give rest from the heat of the sun and rain. I kept shouting, but the woodcutter did not stop at all … How can you help me? If you want to help, please tell your fellow men not to cut trees The ocean said, look at me. I am getting dirty day by day. I give you water to drink, bathe, clean, wash and cook …. But the people here are continuously polluting me by throwing plastic and all waste …

The fishes inside me are not able to breathe and are dying … please stop … help us … help yourself…. One day, everything will come to an end if we don’t save our mother nature …

Tam and Sam looked at their mother … Mother understood they would make a difference, so she said let us go home children … All three said bye to Woody and Mr blue with a promise to do something to keep them safe and clean surely…

Next week all Dad’s, Mom’s and children spent on the beach cleaning it up. And ensured no more trees to get cut. Indeed everyone started planting more trees.

A few months later, Tam and Sam heard splashing waves, smelt fresh air, and saw seagulls. Trees with fruits and beautiful looking flowers are smelling so good. Different types of birds chirping and flying all over. They were pleasantly surprised. And then came the biggest moment where they saw Woody and Mr. Blue playing with each other by Mr. Blue throwing water in the form of big waves on Woody.

Woody and Mr. Blue shouted to Tam and Sam to join them in their fun and to make them happy again.

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conservation

Wildlife conservation in Kenya Al Ain Zoo supports number of initiatives and creates global opportunities to expand its efforts in wildlife conservation. One of which is the agreement signed with the Lewa Wildlife Conservancy in Kenya in 2013, to support and contribute in field research and monitoring programs focusing on the endangered species and their habitat. through this partnership, Al Ain Zoo established staff exchange program to send staff from the zoo to the conservancy. Total of eight staff visited the conservancy and participated in field monitoring programs and gathered information about number of animals and their location sites.

Also they worked closely with the research team and uploaded the collected data in specialized software in daily bases. Other than that, the team checked the camera traps that are distributed in different places around the conservancy and collected all the images of the wild animals.

The Zoo’s first official visit was in 2015, and the most recent was in 2018. During the visit the team got updates on projects supported by the zoo such as predators and rhino monitoring programs. during which there was the follow-up of specific animals such as elephants, lions, rhinos, zebras

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and ungulates. Programs and strategies have been developed to ensure their protection and saving future generations. Some of these animals are on the brink of extinction for various reasons, mainly overhunting, illegal trade and habitat loss.

Through these visits Al Ain Zoo staff gained valuable experience in the fieldwork, specifically working in the natural environments of endangered species that we look after them in the zoo. We have learnt techniques for monitoring wild species and methods of counting their numbers, as well as learning about research activities, community education programs, and experiencing tourism in Kenya’s natural safaris.

Here at Al Ain Zoo, we organize workshops, meetings, and forums to share experiences and discuss future challenges and plans, such as the conservation Day that the zoo organized and invited the conservation partners, The most recent Forum was the International Zoo Educators Association (IZE) Conference, which was being held for the first time in the Middle East with the participation of many countries from all over the world, most importantly Kenya.

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Meet our celebrities

We may become extinct because of some humans and proliferate thanks to other humans.

Sudan ZooLife Magazine speaks to herself: “Be brave with him. He is our kind friend, the rhinoceros, Sudan. He is huge and a little nervous. Hmmm… it is true that his horn may shred me, but he seems calm today.”

ZooLife: “Good morning, Sudan.”

Sudan: “Good morning! Who are you, papers?”

ZooLife: “My name is ZooLife, and I am a magazine published by the Al Ain Zoo. I spread the beauty of our zoo though my articles.”

Sudan: “Oh, yes, I know you. This is you, then, it is nice to meet you. I wanted to thank you because you told everyone about me as soon as I was born in 2018. My mom kept a copy of the magazine until I grew up so that she could give it to me.”

ZooLife: “Do not worry, Sudan. We are here at the Al Ain Zoo. We will always stay with you, take care of you and offer you all types of care and protection, so do not be afraid of anything.”

Sudan: “Is it strange? We are threatened by extinction because of some humans and proliferate thanks to others. We are exposed in Africa, our original homeland, to unjust killing for our horns, which are used for medical treatment and sometimes for supposed magical purposes, unfortunately (though we are not really magic).”

ZooLife: “It is unfortunate and irresponsible behavior toward wildlife on the planet.”

Sudan: “Yes. Do you believe that there are those who end the life of a rare living creature for a horn?

This is strange behavior taken by humans!”

ZooLife: “I’m so glad to hear that, and now I’m back for you again.”

ZooLife: “Well, while we are talking about your horn, can you tell readers about its features?”

Sudan: “You are lucky, ZooLife. Now I am in an excellent mood, as nothing is better than enjoying the morning sun after a delicious meal of grass.

What do you think about introducing you to my family? Come on!

“These are my parents, this is my sister, Nola, and there is my brother, Leon. We are distributed between the safari and the African habitat in the zoo.”

Sudan: “You embarrass me, ZooLife. It is difficult for anyone to talk about his features and praise himself, but for the sake of our readers, I will do it.”

“First, you need to know that there are five species of rhinoceros, and we all come from Africa and southern Asia. Our most famous species are the white rhinoceros and black rhinoceros, but this is just a classification and has nothing to do with our color; as you can see, my color is rocky gray.

Some of us have one horn, while others have two horns (one small and the other big), and both types of animals are considered to be rhinoceros. Our horns are made of keratin (an essential component for the growth of human hair and nails) as well as calcium and melanin in the heart of the horn.

Calcium makes my horns stronger, and melanin protects them from the sun’s UV rays.”

“Did you know that my sister, Nola, was named by Al Ain Zoo fans on social media?”

ZooLife: “Yes, I know that, and I also know that Nola is named after a female southern white rhino who died in 2016 at the San Diego Zoo in America.

Do you know why you were called Sudan?”

Sudan: “Ah, Zoolife, I definitely know, but despite my pride in that name, I am sad when I remember the reason for it. We are becoming extinct in the wild, and my name came from the last male northern white rhino who died in 2018 in the Kenyan Awal Vegeta reserve. There are only two females left now that are protected by this reserve.”

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ZooLife: “You know, Sudan, many people who see the huge body of a rhinoceros don’t believe that they only eat grass and other plants. At first glance, many people think you are carnivores.”

Sudan: “Ha-ha, yes, my friend, I know that I am huge. I am 2,700 kg in weight, and I like the grass that my big, square lips help me to bite into easily.

I also have a strong sense of hearing for the most sensitive sounds, but I still rely on my sense of smell to feel what is around me. Unfortunately, my vision is weak.”

ZooLife: “Of course, Sudan. I cannot afford to upset you.”

Sudan: “Ha-ha-ha-ha! Don’t be afraid, ZooLife.

I am joking with you, my friend. I am without a doubt sure of your credibility. Now, with your permission, it is time to play with my sister, Nola.”

ZooLife: “But... are the rumors true? Are you ZooLife: “Thank you for your time, Sudan. My nervous and ill-tempered?” meeting with you was more casual and kind than I imagined. I wish you health and safety.”

Sudan: “Hmm… I love isolation and I don’t like strangers approaching me too much, so I surround my area with special protection to prevent those around me from coming too close.

We are sensitive as much as humans; our nerves vary from one animal to another. I think it is normal, and there is no need to spread rumors about me, ZooLife. Do you understand, my dear friend?”

My horn is expensive and made of keratin and calcium, and my sense of hearing is strong

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Talented Kids

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‫قط‬ ‫السيرفال‬

‫حناء‬

‫ال يمتلــك الزائــر فــي مدينــة العيــن القــدرة علــى أن يصــرف بصــره عــن “جبــل حفيــت”‪ ،‬ذلــك الجبــل الرابــض فــي مكانــه‬ ‫بشــموخ وهيبــة منــذ مالييــن الســنين‪ ،‬فيقــف مدهوشــً مبهــورًا أمــام الجبــل الــذي يزيــد مــن زينــة وجمــال مدينــة العيــن‬ ‫خاصــة بأنــه يعــد واحــدًا مــن أعلــى الجبــال فــي دولــة اإلمــارات العربيــة المتحــدة ويبلــغ ارتفــاع قمتــه ‪ 1240‬متــرًا‪.‬‬ ‫فمــاذا لــو حصلنــا علــى فرصــة لتجربــة الدخــول إلــى أحــد كهوفــه والتعــرف علــى أســراره عــن قــرب؟؟ فبعــد البحــث‬ ‫واالســتطالع اكتشــفنا وجــود مجســم ألحــد كهــوف جبــل حفيــت فــي المعلــم المســتدام مركــز الشــيخ زايــد لعلــوم‬ ‫الصحــراء الــذي يقــع فــي حديقــة الحيوانــات بالعيــن‪.‬‬ ‫وتوجهنــا إلــى المركــز وفــي مخليتنــا أســئلة كثيــرة ياتــرى كيــف ســيكون الكهــف مــن الداخــل وعلــى مــاذا يحتــوي؟‬ ‫هــل هنــاك كائنــات حيــة عاشــت فــي المنطقــة؟ ســندخل اآلن وســنتطلع علــى مــا ســتحكيه لنــا الصخــور عــن ماضــي‬ ‫مدينــة العيــن‪.‬‬ ‫اســتقبلنا عنــد البوابــة مرشــد ثقافــي بشــوش ورحــب بنــا ومــن ثــم توجــه بنــا إلــى مــكان الكهــف الــذي يقــع فــي قلــب‬ ‫معــرض صحــراء أبوظبــي عبــر الزمــن وبــدأ يحدثنــا عنــه‪ .‬وريــث دخولنــا صدمنــا برؤيــة المخروطــات الهابطــة والنازلــة‬ ‫والتــي هــي عبــارة عــن صخــور تكونــت بفعــل عوامــل التعريــة ورأينــا األحافيــر والنمــاذج البحريــة المنتشــرة فــي قلــب‬ ‫المــكان راســمة لوحــات فنيــة جميلــة‪ ،‬وعــن األدوات الموجــودة فيــه‪ ،‬يمكننــا القــول بأنهــا أدوات تعليميــة جميلــة تســهم‬ ‫فــي ترســيخ المعلومــات العلميــة لــدى زائــري الكهــف‪.‬‬ ‫ويكشــف لنــا الكهــف عــن أســرار الكائنــات الحيــة التــي كانــت تعيــش والتــي مــازال بعضهــا موجــودًا‪ ،‬فهنــاك مصاصــي‬ ‫الدمــاء وخفافيــش المدينــة وشــعريات الذنــب و األبــرص ذو األقــدام المروحيــة والعقــارب الســوطية‪ ،‬واألفاعــي والثعالــب‬ ‫المراوغــة والنســر العربــي المهاجــر والطهــر العربــي الــذي اعتقدنــاه فــي الوهلــة األولــى بأنــه منقــرض وتفاجئنــا‬ ‫بتعايشــه فــي الكهــف حتــى يومنــا هــذا‪ .‬فالتجربــة كانــت جميلــة والمعلومــات التــي أخذناهــا كثيــرة البــد أن نــزوره مــرة‬ ‫أخــرى لنســمع راويــات أخــرى عنــه‪.‬‬ ‫انتهــت التجربــة وغادرنــا المركــز ولكــن ظلــت لوحــات الكهــف وكائناتــه المرســومة تداعــب خيالنــا وكأنهــا حلــم‬ ‫راودنا ومضى‪.‬‬

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