Al Ain Zoo launches gazelle breeding program

Al Ain Zoo launches a breeding program for 80 African dama gazelle as part of its 2028 strategy

As part of its efforts to protect the African dama gazelle—listed in the IUCN Red as critically endangered—Al Ain Zoo is managing a controlled breeding program for the two subspecies of the dama gazelle, addra and mhorr gazelles. The total number of the dama exceeds 80 gazelles in its collection.

The dama gazelle is facing a high risk of extinction as the number of dama in the wild is around 100 individuals. Al Ain Zoo is the only zoo around the world that holds the two subspecies of the dama gazelle, addra and mhorr. This has prioritized Al Al Zoo conservation efforts of the dama gazelle. Through a collaboration with specialists and range state from Africa, Al Ain Zoo successfully contributed to developing the Dama Gazelle Conservation Strategy, 2019–2028. This new strategy focuses on updating the most important information related to dama gazelles in terms of their numbers and locations in the wild and emphasizes the actions and procedures to be followed to reduce the chances of extinction. The Strategy also is examining opportunities for releasing the dama back to the wild and reviewing the potential sites for reintroduction programs. The strategy also presents the results of the genetic studies and potential genetic challenges for inter-breeding gazelle in the wild and captive animals. The program also studies the training and specialized technical courses needed by all concerned in the field of research, translocation, and sample collection.

The dama gazelle has disappeared from more than 99% of its former range due to uncontrolled hunting habitat loss and overgrazing. As a result of this significant decline, the global efforts by concerned authorities and institutions have come together to save the dama gazelle from extinction.

Al Ain Zoo celebrates International Flamingo Day

In celebration of one of its main animal groups, the Al Ain Zoo participates in International Flamingo Day on the 23rd of June of every year.

The flamingo is one of the animals that has lived in the Al Ain Zoo since its establishment in 1968. The current colony began with a small group that increased to include 89 birds of three types: Chilean Flamingo, Greater and Lesser Flamingo.

Al Ain Zoo has three lakes for flamingos, and visitors will find the birds around the zoo, distributed according to their types. The flamingos are easy to spot due to their unique shape and color, which make them one of the most beautiful birds in the world. Chilean and young flamingos are classified as “near threatened” according to the IUCN Red List, as a result of the decline of their natural habitats due to human activities.

Flamingos at Al Ain Zoo have great importance in terms of care and preservation, and the zoo plays a vital role in protecting this bird by coordinating with conservation partners in the UAE. In 2014, 20 flamingos were brought from the Emirate of Dubai, where the birds are found on beaches and in reserves.

Flamingos are among the birds most frequently found around the world on open beaches, bodies of water, in mangroves, and sometimes among inland wet areas, and they spend their time in coastal and inland lagoons, migrating and settling during different parts of the year. They are most famously found in South America, including in Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Paraguay, Peru, Uruguay, and some are also found in Africa and parts of Asia, including the middle east.