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Dubai Zoo is the oldest
zoo of its kind not only in the UAE but also in the Arabian Peninsula.
Ideally located in the lush green suburb of Jumeirah, it is the
first Arabian zoo to breed the rare Chimpanzee and Arabian wild
cat.
The zoo houses nearly two hundred species
of mammals, birds, reptiles and fish. The Arabian species in the
zoo include gazelle, caracal, foxes, wolves, hyaena, wild cat, flamingo,
cormorant, herons, gulls, eagles, buzzards, vultures, snakes, skunks
and lizards.
Endangered species like barbary
sheep, water buck, Siberian and Bengal tigers, Arabian wolves, hyaena,
wild cats, scimitar-horned oryx, gorilla and chimpanzee are some
of the inmates taken care of by the zoo authorities..
Background
H. H. Sheikh Rashid bin Maktoum,
the late Ruler of Dubai, permitted Otto J. Bulart to build the Zoo
on a two hectacre plot in Jumeirah.
The Dubai Zoo became a landmark as it
indicated the "town's end".
During the first couple of years of
its existance, the Dubai Zoo housed only a few animals like the
big cats, monkeys and hoofed-animals. There was also a small acquarium
with some fishes and reptiles.
In 1971 the management of the Dubai
Zoo was taken over by the Dubai Municipality.
From May 1986 to May 1989, a part of
the Zoo was redesigned and rebuilt. From June 1989 to the present
there is constant re-designing and renovation.
Where is the Zoo?
Dubai Zoo is ideally located in the
lush green suburb of Jumeirah. Probably, it is the greenest spot
in this area covered with a variety of trees. |
