Zoo

It's been a few years since I've visited Al Ain Zoo. I guess it was the moment I was told why there was "maafi elephant". However, I've heard that it's improved in recent times so yesterday I decided to pay it a visit: It's fantastic!

Hats off to whoever has implemented this change for the better. The entrance fee is reasonable 10 dirhams for adults and 5 for children, more than it used to be but you can see the results of this extra money. The animals look happy, the visitors look happy and the African Exhibit is the star attraction, in my opinion. For a moment I thought I was on the African Savannah:
















Come and support your local zoo. It's a testimony to what can be done with money and a passion for wildlife.

Tequila Snakebite

Gulfnews: Tequila the chimp dies of snake bite:


"Abu Dhabi: Tequila, the young chimpanzee of Abu Dhabi, died in Al Ain Zoo on August 6.

A wild snake at the zoo is believed to have killed her.

According to a summary of a report on the death obtained by Gulf News, the zoo curator was informed at 10.30am on August 6 that the chimp had slipped into a coma."


The full article was in today's Gulf News as well as a 'lovely' photo of poor Tequila spreadeagled on the ground, looking, well, dead. Couldn't we have had a photo of Tequila taken at a happier moment? Like for instance when she was on the Animal Planet channel?

So there are poisonous snakes roaming around Al Ain Zoo? No cause for alarm there, don't they say snakes are more afraid of us than we are of them?