Zoolife October edition - Insights from Al Ain Zoo

OCTOBER 2018

Rock Hyrax Spends its time under the bright sunlight

Maher Al Muraqeb

Snakes are the reasons behind his working at Al Ain Zoo

Oasis Garden... a traditional symbol of human struggles in the UAE

EVENTS IN OCTOBER 2018

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 25 OCT - 27 OCT Middle East Games Con Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre

25 OCT - 29 OCT The International Jewellery & Watch Show Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre

UNTIL 31 OCT Wings of Mexico Manarat Al Saadiyat, Saadiyat Island

Al Ain 10 OCT Sheikh Zayed Desert Learning Centre Second Anniversary Al Ain Zoo

15 OCT - 18 OCT As it arrogantly looks at our visitor, this Iguana deludes him with a careless and indifferent attitude…. but this guy was sure it was trying to ask him for a photo. If it wanted, it could have hidden itself in less than a moment as it can blend into its surroundings and simply disappear.

Taken by Visitor: Albert Damo

The International Zoo Educators Association Conference (IZE) Al Ain Zoo

18 OCT Silent Book Exhibition Zayed Central Library

20 OCT Zoo Run Al Ain Zoo

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OUR TEAM

The Ticket Office at Al Ain Zoo Here in the UAE, we have always been known for our hospitality and courtesy. These are the values we have inherited from our ancestors that pertain to a culture of respect and generosity to our visitors, enabling us to provide them with the best service. These are the vibes everyone sense when they come to the ticket counter to enjoy our services. Our national cadres proudly see their roles as ambassadors of their country and they set an excellent example for their colleagues at Al Ain Zoo as we are responsible for the first impression that visitors get of Al Ain Zoo. Since smiling is the universal language that travels straight to the heart, we welcome all our visitors with the biggest smile at the ticket counter.

Our staff have full knowledge of all our services, experiences, and promotions, and are experts at delivering them to the visitors.

Human interaction is what really makes the difference as it combines the details of our Emirati dialect, culture and our welcoming

nature. After greeting our visitors, our staff presents and explains all our services, including the Ahlan Special Service, the Shuttle Service and various unique experiences such as Al Ain Safari, Sheikh Zayed Desert Learning Centre, exploring the Zoo’s animals and live shows.

The team also provide details of the various discounted offers available for staff from both the public and private sectors.

This is not all; our staff provide the best recommendations for each visitor and each family tailored to their needs; for example, the staff offer services which will suit the ages of the children in the group and their interests. They will also request wheelchairs for the elderly or anyone else who is in need. Our staff are always keen to provide all the necessary support to people with determination.

Quality is usually measured at peak times or peak seasons, but at Al Ain Zoo, the level of professionalism and quality is a standard all year round and does not vary according to seasons. From the moment of arrival, we welcome our visitors

warmly with a smile and maintain eye contact. When visitors ask about our services, Al Ain Zoo staff are determined to answer all their questions fully and attend to all their requests, hence, leaving the visitor completely satisfied.

While looking at the numbers of tickets sold all together, the results prove that the team are ready at all times even when under pressure.

They are able to serve visitors within just 60 seconds while keeping with the very best and highest standards of hospitality.

This shows great teamwork and dedication by the team.

Al Ain Zoo has also succeeded in providing convenience to its visirors and therefore have provided self-ticketing machines for those already familiar with the Zoo’s wonderful facilities. The machines are conveniently located at the entrance of the Zoo, thus increasing the time the staff can spend with new visitors.

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the observer

Rafia Ghubash Lecture at Sheikh Zayed Desert Learning Centre

GITEX 2018

tion o Educators- Associa The International Zo 15-18 Oct E) (IZ ce en er nf Co

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10 Oct

14-18 Oct

experiences

Oasis Garden Since the ancient times, the Falaj system have been a major source of freshwater and have played an important role in providing fresh water throughout the year for the people of Al Ain Oasis.

These systems have remained as cultural symbols that connect the present with the past and show how the people of Al Ain struggled to survive. In this sense, Al Ain Zoo was inspired to start the innovative Oasis Garden project, in October 2016.

Visitors to this are can stroll through a relaxing Emirati atmosphere characterized by the quiet green oases with water flowing through the Falaj. Visitors are thus introduced to one of the

world’s oldest irrigation methods, used in the UAE for three thousand years.

people were able to devise the Falaj irrigation system, and learn about their heritage.

At this Oasis Garden, Al Ain Zoo maintains its commitment to the natural heritage of the UAE. In a garden shaded by huge palm trees, with local fruit trees and green spaces that reflect the peace and beauty of the past, visitors go back in time 1,000 years, when Emirati

Al Ain Zoo has provided an aesthetic paradigm of the UAE irrigation system that represents a national cultural treasure, which resulted in the inclusion of Al Ain on the UNESCO World Heritage List, 2011.

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Animal life

Rock Hyrax Spends its time under the bright sunlight 8 | ZooLife, Al Ain Zoo | October 2018

The hyrax, also known as the Rock Hyrax, is a small furry mammal species of the phylum Chordata and belongs to order Hyracoidea.

It looks like a tailless Guinea pig but despite this, they are thought to be most closely related to much larger animals including the elephant and the manatee. As their name implies, they live in areas where there are boulders and rock formations that provide shelter and protection from predators such as leopards, hyenas, snakes, and birds of prey, among others.

Its feces and urine are used in some traditional treatments for convulsions and epilepsy, and in some industries such as perfumes.

Habitat The hyrax lives in rocky landscapes across sub-Saharan Africa, South Africa and the Arabian Peninsula, including the United Arab Emirates.

Its habitats range from savanna to desert, but these areas must contain natural crevices between the rocks where they are able to shelter. The Rock Hyrax is still fairly widespread with high numbers in certain areas and has been listed as an animal of ‘Least Concern’ of becoming extinct in the wild in the immediate future.

The rock hyrax communicates with the rest of the group through distinctive smells produced by a gland in its back or by making sounds such as high-frequency calls, whistles, and screams.

Features The Rock Hyrax has short ears and a short tail. Its skeletal structure is roughly the size of a rabbit and

it has a prominent pair of long, pointed tusk-like upper incisors used for eating and self-defense.

It has four toes on its forelegs, and three toes on the hind legs.

The male hyrax is larger than the female.

It spends most of its time relaxing under the sun or in the cavities of large trees, so that it can regulate the temperature of its body.

Food The Hyrax eats plants, grass, foliage and fruits. When feeding, the dominant male in the group keeps watch and sends out a shriek of alarm if he sees anything worrisome, sending the group to run for cover.

Its weight can reach up to roughly 4 kg and its roughly 50 cm in length.

Family life They may live in colonies of up to 50 individuals, where the dominant males usually come together with a large number of females and their young ones.

Mating season The mating season lasts from the beginning of August until the end of November. Rock hyrax females give birth to between two and four young after a gestation period of 6–7 months, which is a relatively long period for their size.

Lifespan The Rock Hyrax can live up to 7 years in the wild, and 12 years in captivity.

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On December 2nd, 1971, the late Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan, may God have mercy upon his soul, raised the flag of the United Arab Emirates after adopting it as the official flag representing our state in all domestic and international fora. The red, green, white and black flag was adopted from among 1,030 other designs that participated in a Flag Design Competition. Its colours symbolize the Arab unity that Sheikh Zayed called for.

The late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan 10 | ZooLife, Al Ain Zoo | October 2018

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Instagraming

alainzoouae A group photo for the #IZE2018 conference delegates which is held at #AlAinCity, UAE. The 25th conference will be held in 2020 at @sandiegozoo, USA. #AlAinZoo

120 likes

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Places

Theaters and cinemas blend the past and present with a technological twist Sheikh Zayed Desert Learning Centre Series

The Sheikh Zayed Desert Learning Centre combines an amazing mix of history, civilization and sustainability with modern technological systems. We can witness this cultural mix in the three cinemas of the Centre: the Feature Theatre, the Sustainability Theatre, and the Dynamic Immersive Theatre.

The Feature Theatre has one of the largest screens in the UAE. Once you step inside, you feel like you are in the heart of a cosmic galaxy or a sparkling diamond with its dazzling corners which are similar to that of the palm trunk that has always been the Emirati’s best friend. You will see beautiful light as it flows between the ripples of the astronomical walls, fading sometimes and glowing at other times, you have no other option except to smile in astonishment.

In this theatre, you can watch

‘Visions of the Arabian Desert’, a film that tells us about the struggle of the Emiratis and their coexistence with the environment, with all its good and bad on show.

The film is a masterpiece, bringing the past times and nature to you and giving you the chance to live through this human cultural diversity. For 13 minutes, you will go on an innovative and fruitful journey through time and space.

The theatre accommodates up to 280 persons and it holds many events throughout the year which makes it the most suitable choice for many of the activities and events hosted by the Zoo. In just a short time after its inauguration in 2016, it became the ideal spot for cultural, intellectual and social development in Al Ain. During your tour at the Sheikh

Zayed Desert Learning Centre, you will come across the Sustainability Theater in our “Looking to the Future” Gallery, and also the Dynamic Immersive Theatre in “Abu Dhabi’s Living World” Gallery.

The Sustainability Theater will take you on a journey to the future for four minutes, during which you will discover how to preserve the environment; and you will get to understand the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan’s vision and his forward-looking plans for a better future for the land and its people.

Within seven minutes of entering the Dynamic Immersive Theatre, you will find out everything you need to know about the nature of the UAE, in full detail, to enable you to enjoy the vast diversity of animals and plants in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi.

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Our Experts I feel the utmost excitement when I feel the spiders crawl on the palms of my hands!

Maher Al Muraqeb

Tells us the story of his first encounter with reptiles when he was just 15 years old

It’s very important to be cautious and alert while working with animals and reptiles at the Zoo. But what we found when we visited was very astonishing! It’s Maher AbdelMajeed AlMuraqeb, Senior Animal Keeper - Life Sciences Department at Al Ain Zoo, who really enjoys it when spiders walk on his hands or lizards crawl on his face… “It’s a heavenly feeling!” he said.

How did you discover your passion for reptiles?

“It all started for me at the age of 15 when I went with my friends to see an Asian man selling reptiles, this was the first time I had ever met snakes. When I saw them, I felt a great passion towards them, it was an indescribable feeling. Then I started to go on my own to watch them over and over again. At the age of 19, I bought my first snake from the same man who had kept this job for the four years since I first met him.”

Maher added happily, “I remember very well how the snake was kept in a well-ventilated large-size metal box. I was full of mixed feeling of happiness and confusion, I did not know where to keep the box, and so I decided to keep it in my house storage without anyone’s knowledge.”

He went on with his story, “One day my dad called me when I was at school and he was very angry at me and told me that he threw away my snake in the trash. What I did was I sneaked out of school and rushed to my home and looked inside the trash to find it inside its metal box. So from that day, I kept it on the roof of the house and started to take it to school with me every day, keeping it inside my big bag. I decided right then to read and learn everything I could

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about the animals I love, and then started to buy snakes, scorpions, spiders, lizards and chameleons of all kinds and species. Subsequently, I started to buy big cages and boxes because their numbers were multiplying.”

How did you get the job at Al Ain Zoo? “Some of my friends knew about my passion for reptiles, and told me that the Zoo was looking to hire an expert in reptiles. By then, I had spent 8 years taking care of my reptiles, studying, and reading all about them.

So I decided to apply for that job and I was lucky enough to get it. I couldn’t sleep that night, I’ve always been dreaming about working at Al Ain Zoo.” There must be quite a number of funny or scary stories, can you share any with us?

“I will tell you about my first bite in 2002, before I worked at the Zoo. I was playing with one of my venomous snakes and everything was going normal, but then I noticed a drop of blood on my toe, when I looked away to check the bite, in less than a fraction of a second, it sank

Maher Al Muraqeb

its fangs into my finger!”

How didn’t you feel the bite?

There is a very important point to make; the symptoms of a snake bite vary from one snake to another, because there are many types of toxins in snake venom. Some symptoms start after hours and others appear days later. It could be very dangerous if you do not notice that you have been bitten.

How did your dad respond to what happened this time?

He replied sadly, “My dad killed all of my snakes and asked me never to bring any of them home again. So I stopped bringing any snakes home out of respect for him. Then later, in 2007, my brother brought me a king snake, so I went back to my hobby again. In 2008, I had a new group of reptiles along with palm weevils.

I was overwhelmed by the beauty of this beetle, they don’t look like regular bugs, as they have a glossy and polished wooden texture.”

Are you keeping those dangerous reptiles at home while you have 2 children?

He laughed with confidence, telling a story about his 8 month old

daughter, “I was keeping 3 snakes in the bedroom closet, and whenever my wife would go out of the room, I closed the door and brought the snakes out to show my daughter and let her play with them. Then my wife noticed that our daughter was getting excited whenever she opened the closet and felt there was something wrong. She kept watching and observing until she found out my secret.”

He went on, “My daughter is very much a pet person like myself while my son has inherited my love for reptiles, which made my wife accept the whole matter and adapt to the situation, like waking up in the middle of the night to the sound of scorpions and palm weevils in my closet.”

Did you really buy dead spiders?

“That’s true. One day I called a shop to buy some spiders, and when I went to collect them I found they were dead. However, I still bought them so I could experience the feeling of putting them on my arm.”

And how did you respond to the Federal Law that bans owning, trading and breeding all types of dangerous and exotic animals?

“I know that owning these kinds of animals is very dangerous and may lead to serious consequences, so I stopped practicing my hobby to comply with the law that safeguards our community and protects those wonderful animals.”

He added, “When the law was enacted, I had three snakes, two lizards, two spiders and three scorpions, so I sent them to a friend’s animal protectorate, and this is where my story with home-reptiles ends. However, my story with reptiles at Al Ain Zoo hasn’t ended. I’m very thankful for being here at Al Ain Zoo.”

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Who am

I?

A beautiful animal that is characterized by its beautifully coloured feather, who am I?

Did you know that the closest living relatives to hyraxes are the elephants?

Color me!

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Sudoku Fill in the grid with numbers 1 to 5 without repeating it on the same line diagonally, horizontally or vertically!

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September Edition Question

How many toes does the African Wild Dog have on its front legs?

How long is the trip at Al Ain Safar?

Around one hour

Send your answers to zoolife@alainzoo.ae and see if you got the right answers!

Achieving Global Standards and Meeting Efficiency Requirements The Sheikh Zayed Desert Learning Centre is the first project under a government entity to receive the highest honours in sustainable development and is the first project to receive the highest Five Pearl design rating under the Emirate’s sustainable building guidelines, Estidama. Eight environmental criteria must be applied to obtain the five pearl rating, which are related to the materials used in the project, commitment to the efficient use of energy and water resources, the possibility of coexistence in the internal and external building environment, taking naturally available resources into account, innovation, and commitment to the integrated development programme.

The building has also been awarded with the LEED Platinum certification, an international design certification that assesses design and construction, operation 18 | ZooLife, Al Ain Zoo | October 2018

of high-performance green buildings, improvement in water and energy efficiency, ambient atmosphere, materials and

resources, internal environment quality and finally innovation and design.

I realized that

nothing is permanent‌

Neither happiness nor sadness

Kings built massive castles‌

Castles and kings remain no

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