After years of intense discussion, Dubai Municipality is finalising plans for a new location for Dubai Zoo.
Among the latest developments have been efforts to ascertain possible designs for the new zoo, which will be greatly expanded to incorporate a nature park element.
The present zoo in Jumeirah has been described as "too cramped", with about 1,000 species - some rare and endangered - sharing just 17,500 square metres, including offices and a visitor centre.
This works out to less than nine square metres for each animal. The zoo is run by 26 staff headed by its director Dr Mohammed Ali Reza Khan.
The zoo features indigenous Arabian species as well as a variety of birds, mammals, reptiles, amphibians and fish. Some of the exotic animals on display include the endangered Royal Bengal Tiger, and the Axis Deer.
The animals are often relocated to the zoo from unusual sources. One example is Diana, a four-year-old gorilla which was given to the zoo in 2000 after being found in an illegal shipment at Dubai International Airport.
The gorilla was sharing a plastic basket with a chimpanzee. Last month, Diana tried to escape from her compound when the door was accidentally left open.
Earlier in the summer, a six-day-old giraffe named Razia died of a rare genetic defect causing a coma.
The parent giraffes arrived from Qatar Zoo in 1997. Their first offspring was a male which died at birth. The second was a female named Layla.
The zoo is visited by large numbers estimated at 140,221 per year. Gulf News spoke to some people regarding the zoo to gain a snapshot of visitors' opinions. One group of school-children said that while they like to see the animals, Dubai Zoo is "somehow a bit scary" because it is too small. They also said the zoo is "smelly".
One child, seven-year-old Zayed, said he visited another zoo in Al Ain, which is much bigger. Layana, who comes from Ireland but lives in Dubai, complained that the authority keeps promising a new zoo but nothing is happening.
"How long will the poor creatures have to suffer? The new zoo must be built soon as the animals should be living in a more natural environment," she said.
Ali from Pakistan has the same opinion and urged local government officials to move forward in the project. Sami Moua, a Dubai resident, said: "This place where the animals are kept cannot be described as a zoo." Moua is from UK and said that there is an urgent need for authorities to build a "proper zoo".
According to Qassim Sultan, Director General of the municipality, the new zoo will cover 560 hectares in the Mushrif area at a cost of Dh610 million.
It will consist of a 'core' zoo space including animals from sub-Saharan Africa and the Arabian Desert. A wadi, or river valley, will contain species from the Arabian coastal deserts, Asian temperate forests, and the Himalayan foothills.
Keeping pace with changing times* Dubai zoo is the oldest zoo in the Arabian Peninsula.* It was first established in 1967 by an Australian national working in Dubai who transformed a two-hectare sandy area in Jumairah. * In 1971 Dubai Municipality took over and started to manage the zoo.* In 1984 the old zoo was replaced by a new one. * In 1986 it was renovated and redesigned to create its current appearance.* This year officials announced that they hope to move the zoo to a nature park over the next few years.
Gulf News
