Bird-lovers will now be able to follow activity at the Ras Al Khor wildlife sanctuary from the comfort of their homes and offices on the refuge's newly launched website.
Introduced at Gitex 2007, the website, wildlife.ae, will provide details about animals living in the area and allow bird watchers from around the world to catch a glimpse of the action at Ras Al Khor.
"The website contains information on the Ras Al Khor wildlife sanctuary. It has a good collection of videos, pictures and other details of the sanctuary," said Safwan Obaid Al Suwaidi, an officer from Dubai Municipality's Public Relations Department.
Home to more than 270 species of migratory birds, Ras Al Khor boasts varied ecosystems from mangroves to mudflats, lagoons to dry sand. Nature lovers surfing the internet can look for the 266 species of fauna and 47 examples of flora known to inhabit the refuge.
"The technologically advanced website will allow visitors to access information and get a closer look at the biological diversity of the sanctuary," the site claims. For the viewers' pleasure, three bird hides have been put up at various locations with live feeds to the website.
Ras Al Khor is the premier bird refuge in the region and through the website the municipality hopes to spread its conservation message to a broader audience.
Wildlife.ae includes a visitor's gallery, a wildlife showcase displaying popular features of the sanctuary, a virtual mangrove boardwalk and a closed circuit television observation facility.
An online store selling souvenirs and merchandise and a multimedia library are also part of the site. Interactive photographs offering panoramic pictures and video files help browsers to take a digital tour. By holding down the cursor and moving in a particular direction, visitors can scan the wildlife sanctuary from their desktop.
Environment education is the main aim of the site and it provides background on the various types of birds that regularly visit the sanctuary, including their migration patterns and habitat preferences.
Youngsters have not been neglected in the site's planning and a fan site for children containing jigsaw puzzles and paintings makes learning about Ras Al Khor fun.
By VM Sathish
© Emirates Today 2007
