Febraury 14, 2023 | 13 min read
In this post, we will share all about the Al Ain zoo animal safari, ranging from about the park, animals you can see, and things to do at Al Ain Zoo to the best time to visit the park. Your Al Ain zoo visit cannot be complete without embarking on desert safari to explore the world largest desert.
The Al Ain zoo was founded by His Highness the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan in 1968, and he aimed to establish a park to preserve wildlife in the United Arab Emirates.
He had the ambition to establish a zoo that was unlike any other that could be found in the Middle East. In this zoo, animals could dwell freely in their natural habitats.
Since then, the Al Ain Zoo has developed into a breeding facility for endangered animals, including desert antelopes and the Arabian oryx, also threatened with extinction.
Visitors can see many magnificent species of animals in cages that nearly imitate their natural habitats at the Al Ain Zoo, located in a massive park that spans an area of around 400 hectares and is close to the foot of Jebel Hafeet.
Al Ain zoo is one of the most well-known and largest zoos in the GCC and home to about 4,300 animals, some of which include leopards, wolves, monkeys, lions, tigers, hippos, crocodiles, rhinos, gorillas, and giraffes. It is also one of the largest zoos in the world.
In addition to the work it does to preserve endangered species, the zoo also offers guests a variety of fun things to do, such as an opportunity to eat with lions.
There are plenty of things to do at Al Ain Zoo for animal lovers, whether you are visiting the park with your family or friends, including animal feeding, riding a bike, animal riding, shows, animal safari, and animal encounters.
At the Al Ain Zoo will be able to get up close and personal with animals like cheetahs, penguins, and more.
During the penguin parade, you can watch the zoo's Humboldt penguins look around and play in the grass.
While watching, the keeper will tell you many interesting things about the penguins. You can only do this in the winter.
You can also enjoy a cheetah run every Friday, Saturday, and Sunday at 5 p.m. to see the world's fastest land animal race.
Visitors can go into the lemur enclosure on the lemur walk every Friday, Saturday, and Sunday from 4 to 6 in the evening.
Every day at 3 o'clock, you can get up close and personal with the animals at the reptile exhibit.
For many years, feeding the giraffes has been one of the best things at the Al Ain zoo. Giraffes are friendly animals, and you will get to enjoy feeding them.
They use long, purple tongues to grab lettuce and carrots out of your hands. Feeding the giraffes costs Dhs32 for a group of four, and you can do it every day from 3 to 8 p.m.
The feeding experience is fun for kids because they get to hold a small plate of seeds while the birds eat right out of their hands.
You can also step back and watch how the animals are fed at different times in different parts of the zoo.
At 5 p.m. every day, you can watch the chimpanzees eat. On Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, you can watch the crocodiles eat at 5 p.m., and at 3 p.m. every day, you can watch the penguins fight over fish.
Your child can ride a horse, a camel, or a pony if they want to tour the zoo in style. Every day from 3 to 8 in the evening, people can ride the rides at the Children's Zoo. The cost per ride is Dhs16.
The Al Ain Safari is an ongoing project in the Hajar Mountains near the Al Ain Zoo. The African Safari part of the attraction is now open to the public. It is one of the world's largest safaris, where you see lions, giraffes, and white rhinoceroses from Africa.
Other animals you will see during the safari include zebras, wildebeest, gazelles, antelopes, and ostriches. You might even see the addax and the Scimitar oryx, both very rare and in danger of going extinct.
For the Al Ain Safari, there are many different tour packages. Some of them take place in private SUVs, and others take place in safari trucks.
The SUV tours last about an hour and can fit up to six people. They are available every day and can be scheduled for specific times.
The Safari truck tour lasts about 45 minutes, and up to 22 people can go on it at once. It's not good for kids younger than 5 years old.
At the Al Ain Zoo, you should expect to see different wild animals as they roam around the park. These animals include lions, white rhinos, giraffes, zebra, wildebeest, springbok gazelle, sable antelope, kudu, and ostrich.
You can see many different kinds of animals at the Al Ain Zoo, from herbivores like the Barbary sheep and gazelles to big cats like the lion, jaguar, and cheetah. Visitors may also see pumas, the Arabian leopard, South African cheetahs, and even an African white lion.
Animals you should stay away from are primate animals like the Western lowland gorilla and horned animals like the springbok and white rhino.
Do you love bird watching? You will enjoy seeing the Steppe eagle because it lives up to its reputation as a majestic bird of prey in nature documentaries.
At the Al Ain Zoo, you may observe it in its natural habitat, together with another native bird of prey called the desert eagle owl.
Other exotic birds with feathers that can be found at the zoo include two different kinds of flamingos, cockatoos and an emu that cannot fly.
There are also reptiles such as tortoises and turtles like the Aldabra giant tortoise living in enclosures that are made to look like their natural habitats.
A visit to the zoo is only worth it if you go to the crocodile exhibit at least once, where the beautiful Nile crocodile is the main attraction.
Tickets to the Al Ain Zoo cost Dhs32 for adults and Dhs11 for children ages 3 to 12. Children younger than 3 years old can get in for free.
Tickets to the Al Ain Zoo cost Dhs32 for adults and Dhs11 for children ages 3 to 12. Children younger than 3 years old can get in for free.
An annual pass costs Dh237 for an adult and Dh95 for a child between the ages of 3 and 12. Annual pass holders get up to a 30% discount on the safari SUV, a 50% discount on the safari truck, 20% on shopping, food, and drinks, and 20% on the Al Maha Royal ticket.
A family of five can get in with a Dh662 annual pass, which lets in two adults and three children. Each additional child costs Dhs95. Both people who buy an annual pass and those who buy a family pass can save money.
The best time to visit the zoo is during the winter months in the UAE (from October to March) because you will be walking a lot and spending a lot of time outside, and you will want to stay cool.
You can also opt to visit the park in August and September, where you can hire a private vehicle service to take you on a zoo tour.
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