مجلة حديقة الحيوانات بالعين/ ZooLife November 2021 by Al Ain Zoo

BARQ..

I’m overwhelmed with all the eyes that gaze on my wings while they flutter

Abu Dhabi Events

Event: Abu Dhabi Date Palm Exhibition Location: ADNEC Date: 07 - 09 December

Event: Formula 1 Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi Grand Prix 2021 Location: Yas Marina Circuit Date: 09 - 12 December

Event: MOTN Festival Location: Corniche Abu Dhabi Date: 09 - 18 December

Event: 15th FINA World Swimming Championship Location: Yas Island Date: 10 - 18 December

Event: Mubadala World Tennis Championship 2021 Location: Mubadala Arena, Zayed Sports City Date: 16 - 18 December

Event: TrainYAS Ladies Location: Yas Marina Circuit Date: Valid until December 31

Event: Qattara Arts Centre Workshops Location: Al Qattara Arts Centre - Al Ain Date: Valid until December 31

Event: World Future Energy Summit 2021 Location: ADNEC Date: Valid until 09 January 2022

For more information, call 800555

Veterinarians...

The safe keepers of wildlife

Just as much as a human physician helps people get better when they are sick, a veterinarian helps humanity as a whole, even if we do not recognize that at first glance.

We usually think that vets help sick animals get better, and that’s about the limit of their contribution, but the reality is that when vets are treating animals, they are helping the natural balance of the world, maintaining the ecosystem and making sure that no more animals go extinct, which in turn maintains the health of humanity as a whole.

The veterinarian section at Al Ain Zoo prides itself with the medical services and integrated health care it provides to all animals of all species in the Zoo.

The veterinary team also provides defensive services, such as preventive programs, vaccination programs, treatment of sick animals and the necessary check-ups and follow-ups post treatment. They also have special care and incubation programs for newborns of rare species to provide them with the best care possible.

The main role of the Zoo’s veterinarians is to diagnose, treat and surgically intervene if any animal is suffering from an illness or an injury that requires such treatment.

The clinic receives the animal patients and builds treatment plans based on the species, their condition and the specific needs of each case, until they are capable of safely going back to their enclosures. The Zoo’s vets are also keen to keep up with the latest treatment methods, vaccines, and scientific progress made in the field in order to make sure they provide the best services possible.

Additionally, the vets are usually the ones who plan out the animals’ diet and follow-up on it, constantly communicating the needs of all the animals to the nutrition team at the Zoo. The veterinary section communicates on a daily basis with the animal care team to provide all the different species’ nutritional and health-related needs, assuring a safe environment for all wildlife, in collaboration with the other teams and departments in the Zoo.

Feeding the lions Experience…

An exciting adventure for wildlife enthusiasts

An exclusive and unique experience awaits wildlife enthusiasts who come to Al Ain Zoo. Whoever is brave and adventurous when it comes to nature to get close to the kings of the jungle, can get the unique experience of watching lions roam freely in the Al Ain Safari, the biggest man-made Safari attraction in the world.

It’s an exciting and challenging adventure that enables visitors to learn more about the lifestyle of lions up close with the highest standards of safety and security, while lions roam around freely, but perhaps with heightened curiosity towards their guests inside a locked vehicle as they try to pick up their favorite meal of cut-up raw meat.

In the company of the UAE’s most skilled tour guides, visitors head off to the safari’s feeding area on specially equipped vehicles surrounded by a wire cage which has been designed specifically to make it safe for passengers to approach the lions and witness the stunning views of the safari’s attractive landscape as well.

The Zoo is always keen to offer a variety of out-of-the-ordinary experiences to visitors in an innovative and enjoyable setting that enables them to get a clear view of wildlife to the fullest extent while maintaining the highest standards of security and safety.

Dodonaea

The evergreen shrub

Family: Sapindaceae

Plant name: Dodonaea Viscose

Scientific name: Dodoaea, hop-bush

DESCRIPTION

Dodonaea is a small, evergreen shrub that has a unique color and the leaves have a beautiful texture.

Adapted to the desert, it can grow up to 4 meters in height, and is used for fencing and framing gardens or as independent trees; it can be trimmed into a design for landscaping purposes. Dodonaea shrubs can be multiplied by using seeds because they grow rapidly within 6 to 8 days, and can be grown in large quantities inside the arboretum in plastic containers filled with the suitable soil then transported and replanted when they reach about half a meter in height.

Grow up to 4 meters

Traditional uses

The leaves used to be given as an infusion to induce milk flow in breastfeeding mothers, and were also used to cure indigestion, various skin conditions and rheumatism.

Where does it grow in the world?

Dodonaea shrubs are usually found at the foot of the mountains in the Northern UAE, and the other genus, Dodonaea Anggustifolia, is usually found in areas like Sha’am, Ras al-Khaimah, Digdaga, Umm Al Quwain, Masafi, Khor Fakkan, Fujairah and Kalba.

Where to find in Al Ain Zoo:

Dodonaeas are planted as a natural vegetation fence at the Zoo as well as in group formations that add to the aesthetics of the landscape because of their beautiful deep green color.

Sheikh Zayed Desert Learning Centre,

An innovative concept to preserve the fine art of architecture and culture

The preservation of nature is a conceptually broad approach that can be applied throughout various walks of life, and is not necessarily exclusive to fauna and flora. Architecture, for one, is one of the variables of life that can become influenced by nature as well as having its own direct effect on nature, the environment and the wellbeing of individuals and society.

Sheikh Zayed Desert Learning Centre was created to be an exemplary prototype of environmental architecture, built to preserve life around it and show how a seamless marriage between nature and architecture can have an enduring aesthetic value. The Centre has won multiple awards, including the 5 Pearl rating, Estidama, and the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) international certificate.

The 12,500 sq.m. Centre draws 10% to 20% of its power from solar energy and saves up to 50% of expected water consumption. It has multiple interactive exhibits, multi-media presentations and specially produced video material, offering educational programs for all levels of education, receiving over 40,000 students annually.

The Centre was built to be an icon representing multiple important pillars of Emirati culture and nature, foremost

among them is the vision and approach of the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, may he rest in peace, prioritizing environmental conservation and sustainable development, in addition to creating an establishment specialized in the discovery of environmental science through five exhibitions housing international architectural content, which makes the Centre a tourist destination attracting visitors of all age groups.

Sheikh Zayed Desert Learning Centre houses a film theatre with one of the largest movie screens in the Abu Dhabi and the theatre runs a specially produced documentary, “A Vision of the Arabian Desert”, throughout the day. The film depicts life in the Emirates desert and the amazing journey that the people of the UAE had to take to overcome the harshness of their environment and embrace its greatness and beauty.

The Centre also includes one of the nation’s largest specialized environmental science libraries, which has more than 10,000 papers, manuscripts and publications, in addition to electronic databases providing millions of updated e-books.

Moon Grass and the Three Little Pandas

Part Two

After Dana admitted everything she used to do, it would indeed become extremely difficult to obtain the Moon Grass because of how she used to extort the other poor animals to get what she needs from them, but the Queen Turtle also felt bad for her two kind sisters and sick mother, as they had nothing to do with Dana’s misbehavior.

Moved by the urgent situation, the Queen Turtle made Dana an offer she couldn’t refuse. The Queen told Dana that she will help, but Dana had to go back to the village and confess what she did in front of all the animals, asking them for forgiveness for her deeds, provided that her regret for what did was sincere; and she must promise to never do such things again, and try her best to take responsibility for her duties and never use any creature to benefit herself unrightfully.

Dana was hesitant and first, because Queen Turtle’s request was hard to do and having to confess one’s faults in front of everyone seemed like the worst thing that can ever happen… but Dana remembered how sick her mother was and understood the fact that there was now something she could do to help her. Her mother’s life was in her hands now!

Dana decided to go back to the village alone, as the Queen said that her two sisters, Alia and Mira, must stay behind, just to make sure that Dana will have no other observer but herself while she is undoing her mistakes and taking the consequences of her actions. Before she set out on her way back, the wise turtle reminded her that the Moon Grass can get into the deepest part of one’s heart, mind and soul, and know the intentions behind Dana’s actions, whether good or bad.

It broke Dana’s heart to see her mother panda struggling so much between life and death, and she knew that it was time for her to take responsibility for her actions.

Dana went and knocked on the door of their good neighbor the rooster, asking him to call on every creature in the village, and she stood there in front of them all, ashamed but fearless, and confessed everything to the amazement of all the village’s animals.

At that moment, as hard as her task had been, Dana felt that a huge weight had been lifted off her shoulders and that her heart was once again full, then she felt the tears running down her face as she started to cry and ask for forgiveness.

All the animals were shocked to hear what Dana had told them, but they felt her words were coming from the heart, and were spoken out of true regret for what she had done and her sincere desire to become better and kinder.

Meanwhile, Alia and Mira were spending time with the wise Queen Turtle, exploring her palace’s garden, when suddenly, as they passed by the flower bed that housed the Moon Grass, they were all surprised to see the Moon Grass flowers blooming and lighting up with such brilliance, filling the horizon with the most amazing colors; this was the biggest sign of what Dana had done back in their village and they all knew at once that Dana had confessed and apologized for all she did, and that her apology had been accepted.

Quickly, Mira and Alia took some of the blooming Moon Grass plants and ran back home to cure their dear mother’s illness. Arriving there, they were both surprised to find Dana waiting for them, the house was clean, a meal had been cooked, and Dana looked like a whole different Panda.

The animals of the village were also there, celebrating Dana’s bravery and the three little pandas’ mother’s recovery, all having a good time with no evidence of conflict or sorrow, thanks to the Queen Turtle’s wisdom, Dana’s honesty, and, of course, the magical Moon Grass.

Seed bank…

To

maintain the local wild plants

Founded in early 2015, the Seed Bank at Al Ain Zoo contains nearly 40 types of seeds, most of which have been collected from plants in the Zoo, the most famous of which is the Nannorrhops (Mazri Palm), the seeds of which the bank collects as an endangered local wild plant.

The Zoo’s Seed Bank is an essential source of the plant needs of the Zoo, with the aim of development, improvement and preservation, covering the needs of current and future projects as well as the conservation of endangered native plants and other species. Seeds are collected from several sources, including the plants in the Zoo itself, where the horticultural section determines the species that need to be collected according to a specific plan based on the season of seed maturity, and then the process of collecting and preserving begins through several steps until they are finally placed in the bank and used when needed.

A special section has been set aside in the arboretum for keeping the seeds, with a processing room and a special long-term preservation cooling room designed to ensure their proper preservation. The bank has many benefits for the Zoo and the country in general, as it serves societal, educational and developmental purposes. On the educational level, the bank serves the research needs for school, university and college students by providing samples and information that could help them, as well as by handling training requests from universities and colleges and by providing volunteers with an opportunity to gain experience in the field. For the benefit of society and development, the seed bank collects and stores seeds of local endangered plants and wild plant species to secure a reserve that can assist in preserving the environmental balance in the area.

The horticultural section in the Zoo is responsible for collecting %20 of the seeds of local plants (original local species) after ensuring their quality and suitability for preservation, then the seeds are placed in fabric bags, paper bags, glass or plastic containers, depending on the needs of each species, with all the detailed data written on each container. They are then sent to the seed bank to be analyzed to make sure they are free of any disease or pests. The seeds then go through a dehydration process under direct sunlight, are weighed and sorted using a special sorting machine, and the final step is to enter the data of each type of seed into a database as well as to keep it in a specially equipped room with temperatures suitable for prolonged preservation.

Animal World with National Geographic

ABU DHABI NAVY BRIDES

The “dugong” groups have always been(Scientifically called Dugong dugon), she cruises the open seas in safety without concern for her future. They are those charming beings that were narrated in the popular stories of the people of the seas as a charming “mermaid” that seduces sailors. Today, however, it is in danger of extinction, as it is classified as being at “moderate risk of extinction”, according to data from the International Union for Conservation of Nature.

However, these marine mammals - known as “dugongs” - are still healthy in Abu Dhabi waters, whose second largest habitat after Australia is; With a population of more than 3000. These mammals enjoy maximum environmental protection from the environmental authorities in the Emirates. Hind Al Ameri, assistant scientist and marine species specialist at the Environment Agency in Abu Dhabi, says: Dugongs are severely affected; Abandoned fishing nets are a danger that may attack them at any moment, and colliding with boats ends their lives directly, as well as the deterioration of their habitats as a result of urban development on the coasts. Their efforts paid off in preserving these “mythical” creatures.

Pen: Ishaq Al Hammadi

Photo: Mohammed Abdullah Al Qubaisi

EXCLUSIVE

SNEAK PEEKS ... STAY CLOSE!

BARQ

Zoolife: How do you feel now that you are taking part for the first time in the Wingss of the Sahara show?

Barq: What a rush! Applaus and eveyone’s eyes on me wherever I go!

Zoolife: I’m sure the show was even more amazing with you in it!

Barq: Thank you for the compliment. My caregiver spared no effort to teach me, train me and care for me since my hatching.

Zoolife: Could you tell us a little more about your caregiver?

Barq: They are more like family than they are caregivers. They are keen to provide me with all the care and attention I need. They are so professional as well! They use organized rehabilitation programs to make me better if I need it, and they also make sure we are safe and capable of performing during shows, and we are comfortable being in front of the crowds.

Zoolife: I heard you were the first Harris’s Hawk to hatch ever in Al Ain Zoo!

Barq: True! I am so very special. That’s why our social media followers thought the perfect name for me was “Barq”. Fast and regal!

Zoolife: You are very fast and beautiful. In fact, I was wondering, does that mean there are only of you Harris’s Hawks in Al Ain Zoo?

Barq: On the contrary. We are a group of 6 hawks of different species. We are lucky to be here, and they take good care of us all.

Zoolife: Great! I also heard that you are a super social bird, with other hawks and with humans as well.

Barq: Also true! We usually hunt in groups, and cooperate in order to get the prey we want, and that’s why they call us “Wolves of the Sky”. Our natural habitat extends from the southwest of the United States to the middle of South America, and our species is “Accipitridae” and we joined Al Ain Zoo in 2014.”

Zoolife: So the “Wings of the Sahara Show” is just right for you?

Barq: Yes it is! I’m so happy to be in the company of my friends, 31 powerful birds of prey. I’m also happy to see the guests and visitors who come to watch the “Wings of the Sahara show”, so eager to take photos with me and my friends, the falcons, eagles, kites and parrots.

Zoolife: how about you tell us a little bit about yourself, my friend?

Barq: Harris’s Hawks come in many colors, dark brown, reddish brown, red and white, and we have long yellowish legs and white tails. Adults range in length from 46 to 59 centimeters with wings stretching between 103 and 120 centimeters,

“I’m overwhelmed with all the applause and eyes that gaze on my wings while they flutter amongst other birds of prey that inhabit the desert”

BARQ

“I’m the first Harris’s Hawk to hatch in Al Ain Zoo and I belong to the Accipitridae family, known as the Wolves of the Sky.”

females are larger than males, and we live on average to become 12 years old in the wild, but we do live longer in controlled environments and zoos, may be up to 25 years old. You’ll usually find us feeding on small animals like lizards, large insects, small mammals and small birds.”

Zoolife: Speaking of food. I’m sure you are quite hungry after this magnificent show!

Barq: I am hungry, you are right.

Zoolife: I’ll leave you to have your favorite meal then, and see you soon in another great show.

Barq: See you soon my friend.