The Animal Connection

Hello everyone! My name is Victoria Nedyalkova. I’m in Year 7J, and this is my second year as a very proud columnist for WIN Times. I love writing, baking, playing the piano, and playing with my dog, Teddy. With the start of a new school year, comes new beginnings, and new exciting experiences. I am glad to introduce my new column in WIN Times. As an enthusiastic animal lover with a passion for animals, I chose the topic of discovering different aspects of all the living things around us, other than humans. So, if you love animals just like me, stick around and I can assure you that you will enjoy the content of this column as much as I enjoy writing it!

UAE’s Wildlife

Culture, Lifestyle, Heritage, and Today’s Responsibility

The UAE celebrated its 50th National Day, marking the country’s Golden Jubilee. We revelled in the celebration of 50 years of the national heritage, union, and progress – an absolutely remarkable journey from the past to the present. It must be mentioned that animals have been at the centre of life in the UAE and have played key roles to the country’s traditions and culture. Let’s delve more into UAE’s animal connection and learn about animals which are synonymous with the life and culture of the nation.

Camel is the animal that most of us associate with the Middle East. These “Ships of the desert” can go without drinking water for a long time and can survive extremely high temperatures which make them perfectly able to inhabit the climate in the UAE.

In the past, camels were believed to be Gods gifts to the Bedouin, as camels often made life in the desert possible, being source of food, a mode of transportation, providing wool for fabric, a form of entertainment, and a type of currency and a status symbol. All this made

Bedouin’s life in the difficult dessert environment easier, and the camel became a symbol of Emirati culture. Being a loyal travel companion and mode of transportation for Bedouins traversing the dessert in the past, nowadays they are less important for

transportation in the face of modern cars and trucks. However, camels’ nourishing milk is still considered a health elixir, camels’ wool is still used in various arts and crafts as an expression of local creativity and today the camel is still highly seen as a symbol of UAE’s cultural heritage. Contrary to the popular perception, the camel is not the national animal of UAE. Read on to know about the animal which holds this distinction.

The Arabian oryx is the national animal of the UAE. In Arabic, it’s called Al Maha. It is amongst the largest desert mammal of the Arab region and plays an important part in the Bedouin culture. Famous for its beauty and stamina, the oryx is an inspiration for many poets and has a special place in the Arabian history and is considered the most magnificent creature that symbolizes wisdom and strength. This species is a desert antelope that is adapted to the harsh desert environment.

Its bright white coat reflects back the heat of the sun, which helps them to maintain its body temperatures during daytime. They can also adapt to the cooler temperatures at night by releasing the excess body heat collected during hot days.

Being a national animal of the UAE, the Arabian Oryx is an important species to protect. Years ago, this animal was widely spread in the Arabian Peninsula but became endangered in the wild because of hunting for meat and horns. By 1965, only 500 Arabian oryxes were left in the wild, and as per sources, the last wild oryx was killed in 1972.

Earlier, in 1968, late His Highness Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan took a note for the declining population of this species and launched a successful conservation program. The last numbers of Arabian oryx were captured by a captive breeding program that was started in Al Ain Zoo. Thanks to this and similar captive breeding programs, the UAE is now home to the largest population of Arabian Oryx in the world.

For many years, these fascinating animals were considered extinct in the wild. In 2011 because of the huge preservation efforts, they were brought back into the wild and relisted as vulnerable by the International Union for Conservation of Nature, Red List of Threatened Species. Images of falcons are everywhere in the UAE – the national emblem of UAE is represented by a falcon with a UAE flag at the heart of it; this majestic bird appears in almost all denominations of UAE currency; we can see images of falcons decorating the faces of buildings; on government documents too. Falcons are recognized for their hunting abilities, speed, and intelligence. This great bird is the UAE’s national bird and considered a powerful symbol of the national’s strength and heritage. The importance of this majestic bird dates back to Bedouin time, when they first used these birds to hunt small pray native to the dessert and to train them to deliver it while it was still alive. The early desert Bedouins survived on a reduced diet of dates, milk, and bread so they used these remarkable birds of prey to generate more various and efficient meals for their families.

Today, falconry is a very popular sport in the UAE. It is practiced by ordinary citizens and from the members of the royal families too. Falcons can go to amazing speeds and are among the fastest birds of prey in the world. The fastest falcon species is the Peregrine falcon, which can reach speed of 390 kilometers per hour, making them the quickest creatures on Earth. UAE is taking great care of its falcons. In 1999, Abu Dhabi opened a special hospital dedicated to these birds. The Abu Dhabi Falcon hospital has individual airconditioned rooms for over 200 birds and helps over 12 000 falcons per year.

It is interesting to know that falcons are the animals in the UAE that are legally allowed to travel on planes as passengers rather than as cargo. Though, they are only allowed to travel in business and first class and are required to have their own passports.

Along with these three emblematic animals, the UAE has many notable animals as: Arabian Tahr, the Sand Gazelle and Mountain Gazelle, Arabian Wolf, Striped Hyena, Red Fox, Caracal, Arabian Wildcat, Arabian Leopard, Sea Snake, Green Sea Turtle, Plovers, Comorant, Flamingoes and many more. Despite the harsh desert conditions, the UAE manages to support around 70 species of terrestrial and marine mammals, the same number of reptiles and around 430 varieties of bird species. Protecting natural heritage and conserving biodiversity (conservation and development of wildlife) is one of the priorities in the UAE. By banning sea dumping, implementing environmental protection policies, making efforts towards sustainability UAE continue to work in saving the land and sea diversity, which is an essential part of the country’s heritage.