Dubai Safari Park to close for summer

The Dubai Safari Park will close for the summer, the municipality has said.

“What a lovely season it has been at Dubai Safari Park. However, it's time for our short summer break. We look forward to welcoming you again in September,” the Dubai Municipality tweeted on Thursday.

Dubai Safari Park is home around 3,000 animals, with 78 species of mammals, 50 types of reptiles, 111 kinds of birds plus amphibians and invertebrates — all living on the 119-hectare site.

The park reopened for the 2021-22 season on September 27 last year.

For the first time, the park offered a behind-the-scenes experience. It allowed visitors to get close to the animals, learn about their habitat and ways of caring for them – all under the watchful guidance of an animal shepherd.

New animals at the sanctuary included the squirrel monkey, Mona monkey, Arabian wolf, and the northern white-cheeked gibbon.

Last year, when the park shut for summer, the civic body had said that the closure allows officials to protect animals from any health risks due to the high summer temperatures.

“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 had said then. “During this period, climate-controlled enclosures in the park will allow animals to live in comfortable environments close to their natural habitats.”

sahim@khaleejtimes.com

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