The largest centre specialized in preserving the Arabian sand cat, Al Ain Zoo Sand cat conservation centre is home to the largest number of Arabian sand cats in the world and houses them in their own unique environment. It is considered to be the only zoo in the Middle East with such a dedicated wildlife conservation area.
Located near the Giraffe cafe and next to the Gorilla Sanctuary, it extends over an area of 1,292 square meters and consists of internal exhibitions of the Arabian sand cats along with Fennec foxes, jerboas, scorpions, snakes, and lizards. There are two external viewing areas for the sand cats with walkways for visitors and an interactive area, in addition to the nature conservation awareness area, with sculptures, plants, rock formations and locally made wooden structures that mimic the natural African environment.
Visitors discover more about the Arabian sand cat by taking a trip through the centre during which they learn about its conservation programs, its lifestyle, its characteristics and the degree of its threat of extinction.
They get to really understand the animals in the centre, how they coexisted with each other and have been able to live and continue to exist to this day, despite the challenges they face.
Visitors take self-guided tours with the help of pictorial drawings, guide boards and lighting which simulates the beauty of twilight on sand dunes, where they learn about the Zoo’s nature conservation programs and its various projects for preserving the environment at national, regional and global levels.
The centre is an important educational and awareness reference and source, specializing in protecting one of the world’s most endangered animals and contributing to providing a wealth of information for visitors, university students, schools and researchers in this field.