Cages in Dubai Zoo are being expanded vertically because of the lack of space for the growing number of animals.
A plan to build a larger zoo has been on the drawing board since 1989, but no decisions have been made as to where or when it will be built.
Dr Reza Khan, head of the zoo, has also raised concerns about the mistreatment of animals by visitors to the zoo.
The zoo has grown considerably since it opened in the heart of the desert in May 1967. Then, it only had a few animals, it now has 897 housed in a tight five-acre area, slightly larger than three football pitches. The number of animals is increasing on a monthly basis as a result of gifts from the public and the government. These donations account for about 80 per cent of the animals in the zoo.
"Many people who go on holiday or leave the country for good and have wild animals as pets give them to the zoo," Dr Khan said.
"Crocodiles, monitor lizards, iguanas, monkeys, even chimpanzees, cheetahs, tigers and lions have all been donated.
"A few nights ago, I received a call from a gentleman who wanted to give me a viper snake that he had caught in the mountains. I had to accept it because it was poisonous. If I had turned him away, he might have left the viper in a public place and it could have been a hazard. We took the viper in and are trying to feed it so it can regain its strength and then we will release it back into the wild," Dr Khan said.
In the 15 years Dr Khan has worked at Dubai Zoo, he has only actually bought three animals with funds from the municipality.
A lot of animals are also donated by authorities in Dubai, Sharjah and Abu Dhabi who have confiscated them from private owners.
"They bring the animals to our zoo because they have nowhere to keep them. I have to take them in otherwise they would not be fed or looked after properly and their health may suffer," Dr Khan said.
With the inadequate space he has to work with, Dr Khan and the zoo keepers have had to make drastic changes to cages in the zoo, including expanding them vertically, building cages within cages and building facilities that resemble the animals' natural habitat. Animals that coexist in the wild are put together in the same cages. "All the modifications you see in the zoo have been made without any outside help. We receive a Dh60,000 maintenance budget that enables zoo keepers and our welders, carpenters and masons to work together to maintain the zoo."
Animal specialists in Dubai have voiced their concern over the breeding of animals in the zoo because of the limited space.
"The only reason we breed animals is to release them in the wild later on so as to increase their population in the UAE. We separate males from females to avoid unplanned breeding since space is our greatest constraint," Dr Khan said.
It has been reported that a new zoo will be built by 2007.
"Until a new zoo opens, the only immediate solution I can think of is to shift some of the animals to a safe, temporary location until a more suitable solution can be made," Dr Khan said.
Many zoos in the West, Europe and certain parts of Asia have adopted a system where their cages have no iron bars and appear to be barrier-free.
"Concrete cages with iron bars are not being used any more in modern, well-funded zoos. I initially tried the barrier-free system here. You would be shocked at what we found in the cages after the first day they were filled with Pepsi cans and rubbish and many people were trying to feed the animals from their own food."
Thousands of people visit Dubai Zoo daily.
Dr Khan has had to build a double fence around most of the cages to stop the animals from being abused.
"I built the fences 14-feet high in the gorilla cage and yet still people were able to throw their rubbish over the fence. Some people were even trying to feed the animals their cigarette butts. That is why you will always see double fencing. There seems to be no way of getting people to respect the animals," Dr Khan said.
He said education is the only solution to this problem.
"We should teach topics, such as animal welfare, in all levels of our schools. A lot of people major in commerce and business, but there should be more general courses to develop a person's humanity.
"People should appreciate the UAE's wildlife. We should be able to switch on the television and see wildlife programmes featuring the wide variety of UAE plants and animals. We should discuss what we have lost, what we have found and what we can do to preserve what is left only then will people respect our animals," Dr Khan said.
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