Abu Dhabi: ‘Big cats playing with people sends a wrong message’

Abu Dhabi wildlife centre on a mission to end trend of keeping wild animals as pets

• By Binsal Abdul Kader, Staff Reporter
• February 6, 2014
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• Image Credit: Abdul Rahman/Gulf News
• The Lions from South Africa

• Image Credit: Abdul Rahman/Gulf News
• The African Cheetas

• Image Credit: Abdul Rahman/Gulf News
• White Lion from South Africa

Abu Dhabi: Maya, a five year old Bengal tiger, is very friendly with humans but Abu Dhabi Wild Life Centre, her home, is discouraging that character. “Wild animals, especially big cats, do not need to be friendly with human beings. Because big cats playing with people gives a wrong message and goes against the concept of conservation,” Rone’l Barcellos, the manager of the centre, told Gulf News on Thursday.

Maya has special attachment to Barcelles and her son Steve because they started taking care of her when she was just three weeks old. “She was very weak with certain injuries, after being rescued by authorities from a small box in Abu Dhabi Airport [from animal smugglers]. We never expected that she would survive but our constant care and bottle feeding brought her back to life.”

When Steve called her name, Maya came out of the interiors of her cage, expressing her gratitude to her saviours. But they shun her friendliness. “We never play with her because those who see such an intimacy between a big cat and humans may want to have such a big cat to play with. A wealthy visitor who enjoys such a scene may look for a big cat from illegal market by paying thousands of dirham,” Barcellos said.

Such wealthy people’s unwanted hobby of keeping big cats as pets at home has become a big threat to these animals. Big cats belong to the wild and they cannot survive as a pet.

Most of these big cats are endangered. They cannot breed in captivity and many of them die, threatening the very existence of a species, Barcellos explained. Moreover they can be dangerous to the people who keep them.

The centre’s mission is to make awareness about this issue, especially because big cats are often seen riding in a car or roaming in a residential compounds in the UAE. “I have been fighting against this practice for past 16 years in the UAE but still many people keep big cats as pets.”  Her phone rang then and it was a tip-off about a gazelle seen in a residential compound in Abu Dhabi city. She called up her staff and made the arrangement to rescue the animal.

About 80 per cent of animals at the centre were rescued from illegal captivity.

Maya was introduced to a male tiger recently but she did not know how to interact with a wild tiger. “Because she was raised in captivity, she did not have wild instincts.” The male tiger attacked her and she had to be separated from him. Two jaguars — a male and female — have been also kept at separate enclosures for the same reasons. Otherwise they fight each other.

Abu Dhabi Wildlife Centre

Abu Dhabi Wild Life Centre was established in 2003 to promote conservation of endangered wild animals. The one square kilometre centre houses around 400 animals and birds including lion, tiger, cheetah, jaguar, hyena, wolves, wild dogs, pony, donkey, gazelle, deer, turtle, baboons, parrots etc.
Situated at Al Watbha on the outskirts of Abu Dhabi City on Mussffah- Al Ain Truck Road, it is a serene place with a long line of damas trees around the enclosures of animals.

The public can visit the centre by making an appointment via email wrsmuts@emirates.net.ae
A one-hour long guided tour will introduce the visitors to all animals and conservation practices.
Animal enthusiast can join the centre as volunteers or sponsor any particular animal for a period of time. “Animal lovers can also donate food to the animals also. By doing so, they will involve in conservation measures and our message to raise awareness about the rights of wild animals reaches the community,” Rone’l Barcellos, the manager of the centre, said.

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