Dubai: This will be the last summer that animals in Dubai Zoo will spend in cramped conditions.
"Construction of a huge new zoo will start in August," said Rashad Bukhash, Director of the General Projects Department at Dubai Municipality.
He said all the animals at the existing Dubai Zoo in Jumeirah will be moved by the end of this year to the new and much bigger zoo being built in DubaiLand. "We have to speed up plans for the construction of the new zoo and the core zoo will be built within three months after construction starts in August," he said.
The civic body is building the zoo in cooperation with DubaiLand on an area of 350 hectares.
Bukash told Gulf News the zoo would be built in stages and will be fully complete in one-and-a-half years by early 2009.
Private investors are also being invited to invest in various projects such as restaurants in the zoo. "We are implementing the best practices in the world," he said.
"We are also building chalets for visitors to stay in the zoo overnight," Bukash said.
Apart from the zoo, the new project will also include a botanical garden.
Have your say
Do you think a zoo is a necessary part of a city? Should there be open developments rather than the ancient idea of caged animals? Is a conservation park a better idea? Tell us at letter2editor@gulfnews.com or fill in the form below to send your comments.
Your comments
Zoos are a very common feature in large cities, and why not? Zoos protect hunted animals and provide a sanctuary. They are also used to educate and entertain children. Dubai can certainly use one since there is not enough avenues for entertainment here for children.
Abdul
Chicago,USA
Posted: July 30, 2007, 14:39
I hope that the new facility will be more spacious and will hopefully resemble habitats similar to what each species are used to. A wildlife park tailored more like a safari is much more appealing than a zoo with cages!
Jane
Dubai,UAE
Posted: July 30, 2007, 13:38
This is a good move by authorities to shift the animals to DubaiLand. But I suggest that instead of a zoo, they have a wildlife sanctuary instead so animals can roam free.
Irfan
Dubai,UAE
Posted: July 30, 2007, 12:12
I am sure the new zoo will be a world class home for wild animals. I hope that the current zoo in Jumeirah will be turned to a nice city park.
Karl
Stockholm,Sweden
Posted: July 30, 2007, 11:51
While I applaud the closure of the existing Dubai Zoo, there remains the question of whether there really is a need for such a facility to be built. In an era where there are so many educational alternatives to zoos, their continued existence is questionable at best. The real bottom line is that wild animals belong in the wild.
Trevor
London,UK
Posted: July 30, 2007, 11:37
In general, I do not agree with the concept of zoos. Animals should not be kept in captivity for human amusement, especially in this hostile climate.
Jessica
Dubai,UAE
Posted: July 30, 2007, 11:04
I ahope they can provide some sort of air conditioned area for the poor animals. My heart cried when I saw animals, such as the Siberian tiger, panting in the heat in their enclosures.
Mohammad
Sharjah,UAE
Posted: July 30, 2007, 10:24
The municipality should also grow more big trees so that the summer heat will help shield the animals.
Ahmed
Sharjah,UAE
Posted: July 30, 2007, 10:03
Being a huge animal lover, I was very disappointed to see the state of the Jumeirah Zoo. We have so many animals that have furs and thick skin but they do not live in air conditioned cages. I saw a wolf whose hair had fallen off. A tiger who had just delivered cubs and was sitting under a cooler. A cooler in this humid weather?
Anjalie
Dubai,UAE
Posted: July 30, 2007, 09:41
I hope and pray that the Municipality will finish this project so that animals in the Dubai Zoo can finally stay in a more decent place.
Yasmin
Dubai,UAE
Posted: July 30, 2007, 02:49
