UAE's 'dinosaur' boy makes headlines in India

Abu Dhabi - From the age of three, little Mohammed has been able to identify pretty much any prehistoric animal, at sight, within seconds.

A four-year-old Abu Dhabi resident has just made it into the India Book of Records, thanks to his impressive ability to reel off the scientific names of hundreds of prehistoric animals.
Following a Khaleej Times article in December 2017, whiz kid Mohammed Aizaz Shameem has appeared in local news and radio reports in India, showcasing his flair for all things dinosaurs.
From the age of three, little Mohammed has been able to identify pretty much any prehistoric animal, at sight, within seconds. And since hitting the headlines, his talent hasn't gone unnoticed.
"People always tell us how amazed they are to see him recall the names so easily, especially because he is so young. And many people said that we should try for a record attempt, so we did," his father, Shameem Mohammed told Khaleej Times.
On August 14, after submitting a lengthy application on the India Book of Records website, Shameem was contacted by the awards committee and was asked to send a video of Mohammed in action; so he did.
Sitting in front of his living room table, with a thick folder chock-o-block of A4 prints of different dinosaur species, Mohammed is seen confidently calling out the name of each picture, from the Spinosaurus to the Tyrannosaurus Rex.
"They wanted to see it for themselves, see as to how he recalled the names of each dinosaur. So we sent the clip. It was a 20-minute video where he called out the names of about 300 dinosaurs in all."
And it was his confidence and knowledge that clearly impressed the panel, as on Saturday, more than one month after submitting the original application, the youngster received what he called his "best certificate yet".
"He now has the title of 'A child with unique talent'. Of course we are so proud of him and as I told you before, I am baffled by his ability to do this. I couldn't name that many, and I am more than six times his age. He has been telling his classmates too, he's so happy."
Mohammed's fascination with these prehistoric animals - all animals in fact - was self-taught through YouTube shows and books. It was only last year, at just three-years-old, when he started reeling off the names of dinosaurs to toy store shop keepers, that his parents realised just how unique his talent was.
"This record achievement is a special notch on his belt, and it is yet another time he has shocked both me and his mother. He's a special boy," Shameem added.
kelly@khaleejtimes.com  
 

• Abu Dhabi