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Love animals? If you’re looking for incredible wildlife encounters in the UAE, seasoned residents will likely point you in the direction of Al Ain Zoo: a huge wildlife park near Jebel Hafeet in Al Ain.
The zoo was founded in 1968 by His Highness the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, who wanted to preserve the UAE’s wildlife. He envisioned a zoo with natural habitats for animals to live freely in that was unlike any other that could be found in the Middle East.
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Al Ain Zoo has since become a centre for endangered species with breeding programmes for desert antelopes and the endangered Arabian oryx. The zoo has a huge animal collection of over 4,300 animals including leopards, wolves, monkeys, lions, tigers, hippos, crocodiles, rhinos, gorillas and giraffes and is one of the best-known (and biggest) zoos in the GCC.
In addition to its conservation efforts, the zoo has a range of cool activities to try, including a dining with lions experience.
Ready to explore? Here’s the full guide to the incredible Al Ain Zoo.
What is there to do at Al Ain Zoo?
There are loads of cool things to do at the UAE’s biggest zoo, including animal encounters, feedings, bike rides, animal rides, shows and a safari.
Animal encounters
There are loads of animal encounters to check out at Al Ain Zoo with penguins, cheetahs and more to see.
In the penguin parade you can watch the zoo’s Humboldt penguins explore and enjoy the grass outside. The keeper will tell you all about the penguins while you watch. This experience is only available in the winter.
The cheetah run happens on Friday, Saturday and Sunday at 5pm. Watch the world’s fastest land mammals race. Meanwhile the lemur walk happens on Friday, Saturday and Sunday from 4pm to 6pm and allows guests into the lemur enclosure. Get up close and personal with reptiles at the reptile exhibit daily at 3pm.
Animal feedings
Feeding the giraffes has long been one of the most popular things to do at Al Ain zoo, for good reason. The animals will take carrots and lettuce right out of your hands with their long purple tongues. Giraffe feeding is available daily from 3pm to 8pm and costs Dhs32 for four people.
Kids will love the budgie feeding experience, where you hold a small plate of seeds and the birds eat straight from your hand. The experience is available daily from 3pm to 5pm at the children’s zoo.
You can also take a step back and watch animal feedings across the zoo at various times. Watch the penguins squawk over fish daily at 3pm, see the crocodiles chow down at 5pm on Friday, Saturday and Sunday or go for daily chimpanzee feedings at 5pm.
Animal rides
If your kiddo wants to take a tour around the zoo in style, there are horse, camel and pony rides to try. The rides are available daily from 3pm to 8pm at the Children’s Zoo. Tickets are Dhs16 per ride.
What is Al Ain Safari?
Al Ain Safari is an ongoing project that’s situated in the Hajar mountains next to Al Ain Zoo. The African Safari portion is open now and is one of the world’s largest man-made safaris with white rhinos, giraffes and African lions.
Safari guides will tell you all about the incredible animals on the safari, which also include zebras, wildebeest, gazelles, antelopes and ostriches. You can also see critically endangered Scimitar oryx and the addax.
There are a number of different Al Ain Safari tour packages, including some in private SUVs and some in safari trucks. There are time slots available for the SUV tours on a daily basis, which can accommodate six people and takes around one hour. The Safari truck tour accommodates up to 22 people and takes around 45 minutes. It is not suitable for kids younger than 5.
How much does zoo entry cost?
Tickets to Al Ain Zoo usually cost Dhs32 for adults and Dhs11 for kids aged three to 12; entry for toddlers younger than three is free. If you are planning to visit during the summer there are often slashed prices. For summer 2022, ticket prices are slashed to Dhs10 for adults and Dhs5 for kids.
The annual pass costs Dhs237 for adults and Dhs95 for kids aged three to 12. Annual pass holders get 50 percent off the safari truck; up to 20 percent off retail, food and beverages; 20 percent off the Al Maha Royal ticket; and 30 percent off the safari SUV.
The family annual pass costs Dhs662 for two adults and three children. Each additional child is Dhs95. Family pass holders get the same discounts as annual pass holders.
When are the Al Ain Zoo opening hours?
Al Ain Zoo is open daily from 3pm to 10pm.
When is the best time to visit Al Ain Zoo?
Winter in the UAE (October to March) is the perfect time to visit the zoo, since there is lots of walking and time outside and you’ll want to keep cool. During the summer, from August to September you can hire a private car to drive you around the zoo.
Can you visit Al Ain Zoo from Dubai?
It takes approximately an hour-and-a half to reach Al Ain from Dubai by car. If you’d rather not drive, there is also a direct bus from Dubai to Al Ain.
Want to see more animals in the UAE? Click here for all the fun experiences at Sharjah Safari Park.
