Al Ain: Al Ain Zoo on Tuesday launched a month-long awareness campaign to educate people on the importance of wildlife conservation.
The drive is a part of the zoo’s commitment to protect species common to arid areas, a spokesperson of the zoo said.
The official, Mona Al Daheri, acting chief conservator of the zoo, called on members of the public to visit the zoo’s various exhibits, many of which house endangered species.
Al Daheri said the campaign would highlight the zoo’s conservation efforts and offer visitors the opportunity to explore a diverse collection of almost 4,000 animals. The zoo is an active player in efforts to prevent the extinction of many of these animals, she added.
She said many Arabian oryx born into captivity had been re-introduced into the wild with the partnership of Environment Agency–Abu Dhabi. The zoo has also developed a research and conservation project for the Arabian sand cat and breeding programmes for the addax, also known as the white antelope and the screwhorn antelope, Al Daheri added.
“Al Ain Zoo has long been committed to wildlife preservation and is part of numerous partnerships and programmes — both in the UAE and overseas — in this sphere, and our aim is to enlighten the public and encourage them to share this important commitment,” the chief conservator said.
The conservation month, she said, will involve visitors in this global cause, where discovering the zoo’s animal exhibits and experiences helps in contributing and supporting the mission to preserve the right of these animals to roam freely in the wild.
Al Ain Zoo is a member of the World Association for Zoo and Aquariums (WAZA) and is actively involved in several internationally coordinated conservation projects, working with other like-minded organisations such as the Environment Agency–Abu Dhabi, the Species Survival Commission, San Diego Zoo, the Northern Rangelands Trust of Kenya and the Sahara Conservation Fund.
