Al Ain Zoo — Attraction in Shiab Al Ashkhar

Al Ain Zoo, located in the city of Al Ain in the United Arab Emirates, is a popular and family-friendly destination that offers a unique wildlife experience. Spanning over 900 hectares, the zoo is home to a diverse range of animal species and provides educational and entertaining activities for visitors of all ages.

One of the standout features of Al Ain Zoo is its commitment to wildlife conservation and preservation. The zoo plays a vital role in breeding and reintroduction programs for endangered species, contributing to global efforts to protect and conserve wildlife. Visitors have the opportunity to see rare and endangered animals up close, including Arabian oryx, Arabian leopards, and sand gazelles. The zoo's efforts in conservation are commendable, and it offers a valuable educational experience for visitors to learn about the importance of wildlife preservation.

The zoo is well-designed and organized, with spacious enclosures that prioritize the well-being and comfort of the animals. The habitats are carefully crafted to mimic the natural environments of the animals, allowing them to exhibit their natural behaviors. The enclosures are clean and well-maintained, and the animals appear to be healthy and well-cared for.

Al Ain Zoo offers various activities and experiences for visitors. The Giraffe Feeding Center is a highlight, where visitors can feed and interact with these gentle giants. The Bird Show is another popular attraction, featuring trained birds showcasing their flying skills and intelligence. Additionally, the zoo offers guided tours, educational programs, and behind-the-scenes experiences, allowing visitors to gain deeper insights into the animal kingdom and conservation efforts.

For families, the zoo provides a range of facilities and amenities. There are picnic areas, play areas, and a train ride that takes visitors on a tour around the zoo. The Children's Garden is a dedicated space where kids can engage in interactive and educational activities, making their visit both fun and informative.

The staff members at Al Ain Zoo are friendly, knowledgeable, and passionate about their work. They are readily available to answer questions, provide information, and ensure the safety and enjoyment of visitors. The zoo's commitment to visitor experience and satisfaction is evident in the quality of customer service.

In terms of amenities, Al Ain Zoo offers several dining options, including restaurants and cafés that serve a variety of food and beverage choices. The gift shop provides a selection of souvenirs, toys, and educational materials related to wildlife and conservation.

Accessibility to Al Ain Zoo is convenient, with ample parking spaces available for visitors. The zoo is well-signposted, and maps are provided at the entrance to help navigate the expansive grounds.

Overall, Al Ain Zoo is a fantastic destination for wildlife enthusiasts, families, and anyone interested in learning about and appreciating animals from around the world. The zoo's dedication to conservation, well-designed habitats, engaging experiences, and friendly staff make it a worthwhile and enjoyable place to visit. Whether you're a local resident or a tourist in the UAE, Al Ain Zoo offers an immersive and educational wildlife experience that is both entertaining and...

Short review: Nice place. Average sized animal enclosures and a lovely variety of species. A surprisingly great place for viewing wild birds, with a good chance of seeing bee-eaters, swans, rollers, hoopoes and huge nesting flocks of sacred ibis. Food is OK. However, the map is confusing, staff aren’t so helpful with directions, there is little information regarding showtimes, signage is not great everywhere and the website is outdated regarding animals. If you want an animal experience, I would recommend Dubai Safari instead.

Long review: This is quite a nice zoo. A vast array of species including pumas, jaguars, chimpanzees, penguins, hippos and lions, with even more coming soon is exciting. The aquatic bird aviaries and hippo pools were definitely one of the highlights for me. Now, for the negatives: There are only a few cafes to actually sit down and eat in, and not all of them are mentioned on the map. The map was split into four sections that were not super clearly labeled. If you ask staff how to get from one end of the zoo to another, they will guide you to a train station nearby, or how to get to another security guard to tell you the way. There are only security guards around, no zookeepers or volunteers to tell you about the animals. However it is the UAE and I can’t say I was surprised. Me and my family prioritized the Cheetah Running Show, which, according to the website, happens 3 days a week at 4pm. We went on one of these days. We ran around trying to make it in time, only to find out it had suddenly been cancelled. There were no information boards about this, and all the security guards whom we’d asked for directions had no idea about this either, which was quite disappointing. Signage is a bit disappointing. In one of the walk-through aviaries, there were no signs at all. You just had to be smart enough to tell a spoonbill from a crowned crane from a pelican. While there are some signs telling visitors not to feed animals, there should be more as we saw people trying to feed chips to monkeys at an enclosure lacking a sign. There should also be signs telling visitors to be quiet and to not bang on or knock on glass. During our visit, there were kids screaming at lions, people shouting at macaques, women banging on glass to get a cheetah’s attention… you’d think not doing this is common sense but apparently it isn’t. Finally, the website is a bit outdated. It is almost impossible to find a zoo which lists every one of its species on its website which is completely understandable, but animals that no longer reside at the zoo are still mentioned, like the wolves and baboons. The website also mentioned that you could see koalas and elephants during your visit, but their enclosures are still under construction and so this was a hit confusing. To conclude, nice zoo if you live in Abu Dhabi and want to see some animals (definitely better than Emirates Park Zoo) but if you live in Dubai/ close to Dubai then head to Dubai Safari instead. Not a perfect animal park but...

had a good trip with family nice place to visit The zoo was founded in 1968 by Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, the late Ruler of Abu Dhabi and President of the United Arab Emirates, out of concern for the land's wildlife, particularly ungulates such as the Arabian oryx.2

The zoo features a big cat house. Lions, cougars, jaguars,4] and black and spotted leopards are found here. In addition to this, it also has a reptile house, monkey compounds, aquarium, and aviary. From February 2010 until July 2010, the Al Ain Zoo hosted the "Dinosaur Trail", a small section which includes around 15 to 20 mechanical dinosaurs with sensors such as Tyrannosaurus rex, as well as information about the dinosaur such as when they lived, which parts of the (current) world they would have been found, and their height and diet, for example.[citation needed]

There is a bird show featuring predatory birds and night birds that lasts 30 minutes starting at 7 pm. The dinosaur trail is open until 8 pm. Wheelchairs are available on request. To walk around the zoo and see all the animals, besides the Dinosaur Trail, would take approximately 2 hours. The zoo also has a "train" with open carriages. It does not enter the "yellow" section which hosts the African lion, Bengal tiger, chimpanzee, puma, saltwater crocodile, panther, Nile crocodile, and leopard. The zoo is home to over 4,000 animals, with at least 30% of its 180 species considered endangered. Conservation efforts have been strengthened by partnerships with San Diego Zoo. This 900 ha (9.0 km2) park near the base of Jebel Hafeet is where visitors can see a large animal collection in enclosures that closely resemble their natural habitats.[5 There are plenty of green public spaces for picnics and also playgrounds, a cafeteria and a train tour of the wildlife area. Giraffe feeding, camel riding and 'Elezba' petting zoo are the latest interactive activities. Visitors can enjoy feeding the giraffe treats such as carrots or lettuce five times daily in a special area. Designed in the style of a local farm, the 'Elezba' petting zoo lets families feed and play with sheep, goats, camels, llamas, chicken and ducks, enjoy camel riding or picnic in a designated area. A fun-filled, outdoor learning scheme designed to inspire children with a love for biodiversity, this garden beauty of plants. The garden features a rolling hill, mixed-use play areas, picnic spots, a flower garden and native plant garden with species indigenous to the UAE, a recycling garden and a vegetable, fruit and herb garden. With spectacular African Baobab trees framing the area, the towering trunks offer a genuine horticulture lesson in how specific plants can adapt to dry soil conditions.[citation needed]

As of April 2019,[14] the zoo is preparing to expand with work on its perimeters going on at the moment in order to build new sites such as the conservation and breeding centre, African Safari, World Desert Zoo, and the Sheikh Zayed Desert...