A major zoo refurbishment in Abu Dhabi will see Al Ain Zoo and Aquarium Public Institution (AZAPI) being redeveloped into a 2,000-acre (809-hectare) wildlife park and resort with a residential community to encourages people and wildlife to co-exist.
Once complete, the new attraction will be known as the Al Ain Wildlife Park & Resort. The project is being undertaken as a result of a partnership between the Abu Dhabi government and The Zoological Society of San Diego – adding to its many conservation partnerships that include the Ministry of Forestry in China, the Darwin Research Station in the Galapagos Islands and the Kenyan Wildlife Trust.
As well as the safari park, the site will include a residential community within an eco-friendly, sustainable environment, along with a family-orientated hotel with a spa and health club, and a five-star African themed resort with Bedouin camps for tourists. There will also be an oasis themed waterpark and multi-level retail area with a shopping promenade, cafés and restaurants.
“The residential community within the park will deliver a completely new way of living to residents and visitors,” said HE Majid Al Mansouri, managing director of Al Ain Wildlife Park & Resort.
The safari park will include a 74-acre (30-hectare) zoo and a children’s zoo, both of which are accessible only by foot, and the Shaikh Zayed Desert Learning Centre, which showcases the conservation efforts of the late president.
The zoo will be surrounded by three safari parks -– Asian, Middle-Eastern and African-themed reserves, which are only accessible by car. Visitors will also be able to choose from a number of themed desert and wildlife experiences that take visitors on day and night safaris, which show them indigenous flora and fauna. These will include the Kalahari and Sahara Deserts in Africa and the Great Sandy Desert in Australia.
“The zoo, its new exhibits and themed desert safaris are for people of all ages and nationalities and will help them gain a deeper understanding of desert environments and the wildlife that inhabit them,” said Mansouri.
The Abu Dhabi Tourism Authority estimates visitor numbers will increase from the current level of 700,000 to around two million once the project is completed in 2013.
