Al Ain Zoo expansion project

Abu Dhabi-based Musanada has started construction on four expansion projects at Al Ain Zoo. The AED 152 million ($41 million) additions include new areas for reptiles, elephants, gorillas and sand cats.

ELEPHANT SAFARI his is the only project of its kind in the Arabian Gulf that gives visitors the opportunity to enjoy watching these amazing African animals up close in the heart of the wildlife that resides at Al Ain Zoo. It includes a rare global diversity of species that mixes a large group of antelopes, lions, elephants and others.

The project extends over an area of 23.77 hectares and is located to the near of the current Al Ain Safari. It consists of the Elephants Safari, the African Village, an educational area, and open spaces for roaming, which are secured for the safety of visitors. In addition, an area where visitors can get a view of the safari animals from a walkway and watchtower. The Elephant Safari Café provides a restful place from where visitors can enjoy observing the elephants in an environment that simulates their natural environment, while also taking in the vast areas of the project that are decorated with local manmade sculptures, rock formations and wooden structures that resemble their natural African habitats.

The Elephants Safari also provides a range of associated experiences, such as feeding the elephants, in a safe and enjoyable atmosphere and the ability to feed other animals while listening to stories about the animals from their Keeper. Emirati tour guides will accompany all visitors in the Safari. Our Zoo actively seeks to achieve its three main pillars of conservation, education and experience, by providing a habitat and an integrated environment for large wild animals such as elephants. This also includes our conservation and management programs in the Safari, as well as the provision of educational programs on the protection of endangered animals. As a result, Al Ain Zoo attracts a large number of visitors from around the world, supporting the tourism sector and putting Al Ain on the map of the country’s leading tourism spots.

GORILLA SANCTUARY Al Ain Zoo is home to a band of gorillas that includes four males, we are the only Zoo to house this number of the critically endangered species.

The Sanctuary includes 3 indoor and outdoor exhibition areas, walkways and the “Jewel of Africa” area. This allows visitors to witness the gorillas living their daily lives naturally on an area of 8.725 square meters in an environment that simulates their natural African habitat.

The Sanctuary’s land area is covered by 1,881 square meters of green space, where the four male gorillas live. They are classified as critically endangered according to the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, due to their low numbers in the wild and the deterioration of their natural habitats.

The Sanctuary offers visitors closed and air-conditioned areas from where they are able to see the gorillas in different seasons of the year through two main viewing areas. In addition, visitors can experience wandering through an

The Zoo organises many animal conservation programs, including those for the gorilla, as part of its species management and conservation programs in environments that mimics their native habitat. The Zoo also works to provide various educational programs that serve university students studying animal science and behaviour specialities.

KOALA LAND Located in front of the Education Centre, Koala Land, the only one of its kind in the Middle East, covers an area of 1,650 square meters and offers visitors a fascinating opportunity to enjoy Australian nature while watching these cute marsupials from characteristic wooden buildings. Australian koalas are considered to be amongst the cutiest creatures in the animal kingdom. The exhibit features indoor and outdoor exhibitions, animal shelters and a variety of visitor services.

The building itself is designed in the style of Queensland Australian homes with wooden walkways that allow visitors to view the unique marsupial in an outdoor environment during winter and indoors during the summer. See the koalas up close and personal from a gradually sloping high walk-way just three meters away, as you view the tree branches where they live in a facility that simulates their natural environment.

The exhibit offers visitors a fascinating opportunity to explore the life of the koala, the world’s second most popular animal after the giant panda, and offers wonderful opportunities to take photographs with this wonderful animal.

Koala Land is currently home to six Australian koalas, and Al Ain Zoo is the only zoo in the Middle East to have a specially designed Eucalyptus trees farm to feed the koalas their unique diet.

The koala has long sharp claws that help it climb tree trunks and has an acute sense of hearing that is useful in discovering if predators get close. They also have a very keen sense of smell which helps them to identify the juiciest eucalyptus leaves to feed on.

SAND CAT BREEDING CNTRE The world’s first centre dedicated entirely to these rare animals, is now home to the largest number of Arab sand cats in captivity in the world, with between 15 and 20 of the animals in breeding groups over an area of 279 square meters.

The centre is devoted to the care and reproduction of these shy animals within strict criteria that also take into account their extreme sensitivity to respiratory infections by controlling the temperature and humidity of the shelters. The breeding centre contributes to increasing the numbers of sand cats in breeding programs and improving the genetic origins of this species, locally and globally.

The centre offers specialized visits for researchers and those interested in becoming acquainted with the Arabian sand cats while studying their behavior, working to improve the outcome of the breeding programs.

Our experts at Al Ain Zoo, in cooperation with the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland, have conducted integrated genetic laboratory analysis of the Arabian sand cats which has helped in determining the most appropriate cats for breeding and improving the genetic health of cat groups for the future to facilitate work on the genetic comparisons between the Arabian sand cat and other wild cats in Africa and Asia.

Other new projects include the Chimpanzee forest, Reptile Park, Al Ain Nature Reserve, Rescue Centre, Penguin Beach, Event Pavillion and the Sand Cat Conservation area.

Updates on this project can be found on the Al AIn Zoo website.

LOOK OUT FOR THIS MONTH»S EDUCATION GUIDE OUT ONLINE NEXT WEEK FOR A FULL REVIEW OF THE SAFARI AND CHEETAH RUN EXPERIENCE. www.thesourceonlineme.com