Trip To UAQ Zoo
A zoo is the best place for kids to learn about the environment. As the mother of three young girls, I can assure you that the lush landscape, the gorgeous animals and the reaction of the kids to that is priceless. After we returned to the UAE from Kerala, we had to stay home for a few days due to the chilling climate of the UAE compared to Kerala. We came across a few Facebook and Instagram videos of a zoo and was intrigued. Though there are a lot of zoos in the UAE, this zoo is s
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pecial. A zoo where you can pet a tiger cub! A zoo where you can hold tortoise hatchling or let a snake slither over your shoulder! My second daughter, Rosu, insisted on visiting the zoo. My husband and she love petting and holding animals contrary to me and my eldest daughter, Reenu. So we decided to visit “The Zoo – Wildlife Park” in Umm Al Quwain.
We visited the zoo on a weekday. The entry fee is 25 dirhams per person. It cost 100 dirhams for the four of us. The work is not yet complete but it is open to visitors from 10 am to 6 pm. The best time to visit the zoo is at the weekends. The exhibit of snakes is open during weekends only. Then we can hold the snake and let it slither on our body. But the zoo will be crowded on weekends. Due to the pandemic, it might be safer to visit during weekdays. What I loved the most about this place is that it doesn’t feel like a zoo at all. Normally in the zoo, we can watch the animals from behind a glass only. But here all the animals are so close to us and this made all of us, especially Rosu, very happy. The main attraction of the zoo is the tigers, lions and leopards. There are snakes too. But we couldn’t see those as it was a weekday. We watched the animals for a while and enjoyed the ambience of the place. It was heart-warming to watch the smile that lit up on the kids’ face. Then we reached the main highlight of the zoo. We came across a sleeping tiger cub. The most amazing fact is that we can pet the tiger cub and hold it in our lap too. I am seeing a tiger cub very close for the first time. I haven’t touched a tiger cub before too. Even though the tiger cub was sleeping and looked very calm, we were scared by the reminder that it is still a tiger. But the staff assured us that it is safe. Reenu was scared and didn’t come close. Rosu petted the tiger cub for a while. All of us were afraid at first but we got used to it soon. Since the cub was sleeping, we left to see other animals not wanting to upset the tiger. We saw a lot of tigers here. I think there are more tigers than other animals here. The tigers are very active and fun to watch.
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There were a lot of funny and interesting moments during the visit. One of them was when we went near a majestic lion. The lion kept following Rosu. When she walks, the lion will walk with her and when she stops walking, the lion will also stop walking. It was a fascinating moment. Then we went near some tortoises. Unlike other zoos, it was an open area and we are very close to the animals. By the time we finish our visit, we will be attached to this place. We had seen some tortoise hatchlings’ photos in social media. When we asked about it to the staff, they let us hold one of the hatchlings in our hand. Mainly my husband and Rosu held it. Reenu and the baby stood far away. She is scared of all these. But Rosu was so excited that it was evident from her face. When she was holding the hatchling, there was a certain glow on her face that it warmed me very much. After watching the animals including the bear, black panther etc., we went back to the tiger cub. When we reached there, the tiger cub was awake and in a playful mood. We petted it and it started playing with my husband and Rosu. While playing, it was biting my husband’s pants. Since it was jeans, there was no harm. It is mindblowing to pet a tiger cub. Though we were assured that it was safe, we know that it is a tiger cub and it is a fact that it is a carnivore. But a few minutes into petting the cub and the cub will charm us. After some time, the cub’s mood changed. Then the staff came and took it away. I think they took it for a walk. We were told not to try to touch it or click photos with it during such times.
We walked through the zoo watching animals and birds. There were a huge tortoise shell and a stuffed deer head too. The staff was very friendly and helpful. They answered all our questions and guided us. The one thing to note is we have to take care that the kids do not put their arms inside the cages. Since the work is not complete, they haven’t arranged all the protections. It is our responsibility to take care of the kids. Rosu tried to put her arms inside some cages and the staff told us not to do that. By the end of the visit, we were very happy. The zoo has an amazing ambience. “The Zoo – Wildlife Park” is a great outing spot with family. If you are in the UAE, you should definitely visit this place.
