MAYS IBRAHIM (AL AIN)

As a child, Saeed Al Zaabi would spend every weekend at Al Ain Zoo, captivated by the roar of lions and the flutter of exotic birds. Today, he walks the same path as a senior zookeeper, guiding, feeding, and training the animals he once admired from a distance.

Every morning, as he enters the zoo, Al Zaabi begins with the same crucial task: observation. Before feeding, cleaning, or training, he watches the animals in his care-how they move, how they react, and whether anything seems different.

"Animals can't tell you what they need," he explained in an interview with Aletihad. Zookeepers must learn to interpret their behaviour through careful observation – a skill Al Zaabi has been developing most of his life.

Now a senior bird trainer at the zoo, he joined the institution a decade ago, carrying with him a lifelong fascination that began in childhood.

"I grew up in Al Ain, and I used to come here [to Al Ain Zoo] almost every weekend," he recalled. "The environment, the smell, just being around animals. I was always drawn to it. I never expected I would one day work here."

Al Zaabi joined the zoo at 20 as a general animal keeper, working initially with carnivores, lions, tigers, and hyenas for six years before moving into bird training. 
The transition was not driven by a preference for one species over another. "I love working with all animals," he said.


Much of his knowledge, Al Zaabi explained, came not from textbooks but from experience - learning from senior keepers who had spent more than three decades at the zoo, as well as through regular exchanges with keepers and conservation institutions abroad.

Enriching Animals' Lives

Beyond basic care, one of the central pillars of animal welfare at the zoo is enrichment, which involves activities designed to encourage animals to think, explore, and behave as they would in the wild.

"For monkeys, for example, we put food inside boxes with holes, so they have to work to get it," Al Zaabi said. "For lions, we might freeze meat and bones inside large blocks of ice. They spend time figuring out how to reach it."

The goal, he said, is not entertainment but mental stimulation. Without it, animals can become distressed, lethargic, and unhealthy.

"Enrichment keeps their brains active. It helps them live longer, healthier lives," Al Zaabi added.

Safe Haven

Al Ain Zoo was established in 1968 by the UAE's Founding Father, the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, with a mission to save the Arabian Oryx from extinction.

Today, the zoo covers over 900 hectares and is home to over 4,000 animals, representing more than 200 species.

Notably, over 25% of animal species at Al Ain Zoo are considered "threatened" according to the IUCN Red List.

One of the most sensitive conservation efforts underway involves the sand cat, a small desert-dwelling feline native to the UAE.

Rarely spotted in the wild in recent years, the species is the focus of a careful internal breeding programme at the zoo.

Al Ain Zoo is also home to a male and female Amur tiger, also known as Siberian tigers – the largest cats in the world. In the wild, they live 10 to 15 years, while in zoos, they can reach up to 20 years.

Al Zaabi works primarily in bird training, handling species, such as falcons and parrots, among others. Training, he said, begins with trust.

"You have to be with the bird every day," he explained. "They sit on your wrist, they get used to you, they learn that you are not a threat."

The conservation team at Al Ain Zoo conducts monthly bird surveys with photographic records, documenting over 100 species to date.

These systematic studies track seasonal patterns and habitat use, proving the zoo to be a vital sanctuary for both migratory and resident birds.