Description
The Abu Dhabi Wildlife Centre is open for Educational Visits.
The existence of the Abu Dhabi Wildlife Centre was made possible by the kindness and caring of His Highness Sheikh Mansoor Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, who took the plight of the declining cheetah population to heart and recognized the need for a breeding and rehabilitation centre in Abu Dhabi. His inherited devotion and love for wildlife is the foundation the centre is built on
The Abu Dhabi Wildlife Centre is a non-profit-making organization working to ensure the continued survival of all endangered species and is active worldwide in gathering support through international and local conservationists, zoos, and other wildlife centers.
The centre provides sanctuary for orphaned and sick animals. In the future we will have an Education Centre where the public can learn about endangered species by observing them at close range. Raising public awareness of the urgent need for wildlife preservation is an integral part of the centre, particularly amongst the younger generation -“The conservationists of tomorrow”
ADWC takes pride in the breeding and management of several endangered wildlife species, particularly the cheetah in captivity. The main objective of the Centre is to return these endangered African species to the wild once their numbers in captivity have increased to the point where they can successfully be rehabilitated and released.
The large open-air fenced enclosures with grass and trees provide enough space for exercise. A small portion is again fenced off as an area for the cheetahs to feed. We provide them with a natural environment, a small shelter in their enclosures, which is air-conditioned and camera controlled so we can monitor them without disturbance.
We have a veterinary clinic on the premises that provides high standard veterinary care. The animals are vaccinated annually for cat diseases and dewormed every 3 months. The animal rooms and feeding areas are disinfected daily.
Abu Dhabi Wildlife Centre is managed by Ms. Ronel Smuts who also designed the centre. She spent many sleepless nights hand rearing cheetah cubs in her home in Abu Dhabi until the centre could be completed. Her love, interest and background in Cheetah conservation originated in Africa working at a Breeding Centre for Endangered Species specializing in Cheetah.