Observations have shown that a new attraction in Dubai - a safari park - attracts species of birds that were not previously seen in the area.
According to a study by Muhammad Ali Reza Khan, chief wildlife specialist, in the place where there was a dump and now a huge safari park in Dubai has opened, there is a natural increase in the number and species of birds.
The area has been designated as a landfill since the late 1970s, but in May 2012, His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, vice president, prime minister and ruler of Dubai, instructed to turn the landfill and surrounding areas into a safari park.
Dr. Khan has been conducting regular observations of wildlife, in particular birds, since May 2013. He made four car trips a week, and from March 2015, he also began to walk, conducting at least two examinations a week until the summer of 2016.
Until 2013, only twelve bird species were registered on the territory of the future safari park.
Construction began in May 2014 with the creation of ponds. By June 2017, most of the construction and landscaping were completed. Between 2015 and the middle of last year, the number of registered bird species increased to 58. Among them were both species that live in the UAE and those that visit the country in winter.
In his study, Dr. Khan notes that 33 of the species recorded on safari in Dubai are mainly terrestrial species. He plans to continue research to describe how the new habitat attracts more and more wildlife species.
