On Friday, August 29, 2008 while we staying at the Jebel Dhanna Resort we had the opportunity to take a boat to Sir Bani Yas Island and take a bus tour around the Island. The weather was still very warm and I wouldn't normally recommend a 120 degree day to visit an animal reserve but it isn't officially opening to the public until October. We were fortunate that the person who put our trip together had a connection and so they allowed us on to basically practice their "tours" on.
This was the first peak of the island. It was a very humid day which causes there to be a haze in the sky. This was the Sheikh Zayed the First's private island. It was his favorite spot in all of the UAE. He brought over 30,000 plants and trees onto the island where nothing grows naturally. There are millions of miles of tubing laying on the ground to water all that greenery!
He also had a private palace on the island along with several majilis. A Majili in Arabic is a meeting room, comparable in the states to a conference room or depending on size center. The island and palace had been developed for personal use only. After the Sheikh passed away the family eventually decided to open the island for others to enjoy. Opening in October is a small resort, in a redesigned part of the palace. hey also created a company to come onto the island and care for the animals and give tours. The Sheikh introduced thousands of animals onto the island, most but not all of them this would be a natural environment to them. They are working on relocating some of the animals, those that the environment is not natural to them and those that have over populated. They are also taking down miles of fencing and creating a more natural environment where they can. After they finish that they will be introducing two cheetahs and two hyenas to the island as natural predators to maintain numbers to a healthy amount.
He also had a private palace on the island along with several majilis. A Majili in Arabic is a meeting room, comparable in the states to a conference room or depending on size center. The island and palace had been developed for personal use only. After the Sheikh passed away the family eventually decided to open the island for others to enjoy. Opening in October is a small resort, in a redesigned part of the palace. hey also created a company to come onto the island and care for the animals and give tours. The Sheikh introduced thousands of animals onto the island, most but not all of them this would be a natural environment to them. They are working on relocating some of the animals, those that the environment is not natural to them and those that have over populated. They are also taking down miles of fencing and creating a more natural environment where they can. After they finish that they will be introducing two cheetahs and two hyenas to the island as natural predators to maintain numbers to a healthy amount.
This is a type of gazelle, there a over ten different types on the island. We were able to walk right into their compound. They were just hanging out under the trees trying to stay cool.
This was as close as we could get to the giraffes.
These are the male ostriches, the female aren't nearly as attractive!
The sand gazelles are the most over populated of any species on the island. There are over three thousand of them and according to our guide they are over running the island! Some will be moved off the island, some will never see the cheetah coming! Oh well, it will be a more natural environment. They often give birth to twins, this past foul they saw many triplets!
This sand gazelle stood gazing at us as we drove by below him!
These are the salt formations that make up a part of the island. The entire island is about 82 square kilometers.
This is the largest Majili on the island and is also the first tree the late Sheikh Zayed the First planted on the island.
We were warm but it was an amazing afternoon! I can say we were part of the first group that ever toured the island!
Remember every thing you see green was planted here and has an irrigation tube running next to it! They are now working on burying the irrigation tubes because the sand gazelles can smell water and have been nibbling through them!
I love this picture because remember everything you see green has an irrigation tube. Yep, that means tubing all the way to the top of that hill!
This is the Arabian Ornyx that was very close to extinction. The former Sheikh was very instrumental in helping rebuild their population.
Barry was able to get pretty close!
The llamas are miserable on the island! This really isn't their natural environment so they are slated to be moved completely off the island. For now tubing is hanging in the trees to mist them twenty four/seven.
They were really sweet!
I think they got full from all of us, because by the time Barry tried to feed them this guy just wasn't interested.
They are pretty cute though!
These are the two couples we planned our trip with. The entire group was twenty eight of us. From the left, Doug and Patty Lockard, Sharmini and Michael Johnson, and myself and Barry.
And our fabulous tour guide Nikki from Australia. It was a fabulous afternoon!
This was as close as we could get to the giraffes.
These are the male ostriches, the female aren't nearly as attractive!
The sand gazelles are the most over populated of any species on the island. There are over three thousand of them and according to our guide they are over running the island! Some will be moved off the island, some will never see the cheetah coming! Oh well, it will be a more natural environment. They often give birth to twins, this past foul they saw many triplets!
This sand gazelle stood gazing at us as we drove by below him!
These are the salt formations that make up a part of the island. The entire island is about 82 square kilometers.
This is the largest Majili on the island and is also the first tree the late Sheikh Zayed the First planted on the island.
We were warm but it was an amazing afternoon! I can say we were part of the first group that ever toured the island!
Remember every thing you see green was planted here and has an irrigation tube running next to it! They are now working on burying the irrigation tubes because the sand gazelles can smell water and have been nibbling through them!
I love this picture because remember everything you see green has an irrigation tube. Yep, that means tubing all the way to the top of that hill!
This is the Arabian Ornyx that was very close to extinction. The former Sheikh was very instrumental in helping rebuild their population.
Barry was able to get pretty close!
The llamas are miserable on the island! This really isn't their natural environment so they are slated to be moved completely off the island. For now tubing is hanging in the trees to mist them twenty four/seven.
They were really sweet!
I think they got full from all of us, because by the time Barry tried to feed them this guy just wasn't interested.
They are pretty cute though!
These are the two couples we planned our trip with. The entire group was twenty eight of us. From the left, Doug and Patty Lockard, Sharmini and Michael Johnson, and myself and Barry.
And our fabulous tour guide Nikki from Australia. It was a fabulous afternoon!
0 comments:
Post a Comment