Dubai Safari Park to close for the season on May 31

Dubai - The temporary closure of the facility is primarily aimed at preventing the summer heat from affecting the health of animals.

The Dubai Safari Park will close its doors for the season ending May 31, authorities have announced.

The closure will allow the park officials to protect its animals from any health risks due to the high summer temperatures. During this period, the park’s facilities would be upgraded, the Dubai Municipality said on Wednesday.

The new season of the park would begin in September 2021.

“With the mercury set to rise in the next few months, the temporary closure of the facility is primarily aimed at preventing the summer heat from affecting the health of animals, as part of the park’s animal welfare practices,” the civic body said.

“During this period, climate-controlled enclosures in the park will allow animals to live in comfortable environments close to their natural habitats. The suspension of the park’s activities will also enable it to upgrade facilities and services and conduct maintenance work to enhance the animals’ living areas.”

Ahmad Al Zarouni, Director, Public Parks and Recreational Facilities, said visitors to the Dubai Safari Park will be able to enjoy various entertainment activities and live musical shows before the season ends.

The current season saw a “remarkable visitor turnout”, he noted. “Strict precautionary and preventive measures applied across the park ensured a safe environment for visitors.”

The park offers unique interactive programmes blended into the safari journey.

Al Zarouni said the park is home to around 3,000 animals, including 78 species of mammals – 10 carnivores and 17 primates; 50 types of reptiles; 111 kinds of birds as well as amphibians and invertebrates.

These include rare animals like Komodo dragon, spiral-horned antelope, Arabian Oryx, coloured African wild dog, gorilla, gibbon, bongo, and lemur.

Spanning 119 hectares, the park comprises three main villages: the African Village, Asian Village and Explorer Village. Each village represents a different climate and ecosystem and houses distinctive species of animals.

It also includes an Arabian Desert Safari tour.

The Dubai Safari Park offers a wide range of animal welfare and conservation strategies to provide a better life for the animals. It contributes to the conservation of endangered species with unique breeding programmes and rescue missions around the world.

It features over 200 different types of trees distributed in accordance with its different environments.

sahim@khaleejtimes.com

• Dubai