Situated in the foothills of the Jabal Hafeet Mountain, the Al Ain Zoo is one of the main attractions of Al Ain, the oasis city. This 400-hectare safari park offers adventure, fun and education for the whole family, and is an excellent choice for spending a whole day during the vacations. The drive to the zoo from the city, with imposing views of the Jabal Hafeet Mountain, which stands on the border of UAE and Oman, itself offers a preview of the adventure that is in store at this destination.
Founded by the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan in 1968, the Al Ain Zoo was built with the vision of creating natural habitats for animals to live freely and for providing protection for the wildlife of UAE. Huge contributions were made by the zoo to the conservation of endangered species through breeding and research efforts. Al Ain zoo was part of the reintroduction efforts of the Arabian Oryx, a medium-sized antelope native to desert and steppe areas of the Arabian Peninsula, which went extinct in the wild during the late 1960s.
Today, this safari park with over 4 km of land area, houses more than 4000 animals across 200 species in excellent conditions. The zoo specializes in arid land wildlife conservation. It is one of the largest zoo of its type in the region and is a first-rate experience for your children, where they can interact with animals in a variety of ways and learn about nature.
Visitors can meet some of the rare and critically endangered species like Dama Gazelle, Scimitar-horned Oryx and Egyptian Vulture and learn about the conservation efforts at the zoo. There are many exhibits and open enclosures within the safari park, that present interactive and engaging moments for the visitors with exotic animals. The Al Ain safari segment of the zoo is built with the goal of offering visitors with hours of thrill and adventure while they enjoy the glimpses of the life in the desert environment. The African Safari – the first section of the safari area opened to the public – is one of the world’s largest man-made safaris. Within this initiative, safari visitors can discover the diversity of African flora and fauna with attractions like African Lion, White Rhino and Giraffe under the guidance of expert safari guides.
Another highlight of the zoo, which present excellent photography opportunity, is the aesthetically designed Hippo and Crocodile Underwater Exhibit. Set in a beautiful atmosphere with crystal clear streams of water, waterfalls and refreshing flowers and reeds, this water enclosure with its large glass panel windows offer perfect views for the visitor into the underwater life of these creatures. It is one of those rare opportunities for you to get real close to hippos and crocodiles and observe them with perfect safety. Activities like feeding giraffe family with lettuce leaves and carrots, the birds of prey show called the Wings of the Sahara show and observing animals while they feed are all highly enjoyable.
Species like Barbary Sheep, Rock Hyrax , Western Lowland Gorilla, Meerkat, Jaguar, Nubian Ibex, White Tiger, Desert Eagle Owl, Chilean Flamingo, Emu,Steppe Eagle,Red-eared Terrapins,Aldabra Giant Tortoise and Nile Crocodile are some of the star attractions of the Al Ain zoo.
