- Dubai’s leading wildlife attractions celebrate the beginning of an animal exchange programme to promote conservation and breeding
- Starting with red-handed tamarin monkeys finding a new home at The Green Planet
Dubai, 1 July, 2022: The Green Planet and Dubai Safari Park are delighted to announce a Partner Exchange Programme that aims to safely exchange fascinating animals throughout the year. The strategic movement of animals promotes high standards of animal care, welfare, and conservation-focused breeding initiatives through open dialogue and information sharing.
The first dispatch to arrive at The Green Planet at the end of April was a pair of red-handed tamarins. These resilient monkeys have adapted well to their new home and have been living harmoniously with several other species including a family of marmosets and a tamandua anteater.
Ahmad Hussain Bin Essa, Chief Operating Officer of The Green Planet’s parent company Dubai Holding Entertainment, said, “I’m thrilled to announce our Partner Exchange Programme with Dubai Safari Park, which I believe is a positive step, not only for our destinations but also for our visitors. The strength of this partnership will drive the safe transition of animals between The Green Planet and Dubai Safari Park and will enable both adults, children, and families to observe and experience new and remarkable wildlife species.”
Muna Abdelrazaq Abdelrahman Alhajeri, Head of Dubai Safari Park, adds, “We look forward to forging a harmonious relationship with The Green Planet that will not only provide visitors with the opportunity to see more amazing species, but also enable us to create a pioneering conservation programme together that will lead the way in the Middle East and create a legacy that we hope will delight generations of wildlife lovers in the future.”
The Green Planet welcomes the tamarins to its successful conservation breeding program that contributes to the survival of species. Over the recent Eid holiday, The Green Planet also welcomed a pair of cotton top tamarins, a relative species that is critically endangered and native to South America.
Known for their eye-catching coloured hands, red-handed tamarins are an arboreal primate native to north-east South America. They eat insects and fruit and can weigh approximately 500g, while growing to 25cms in length with tails of an additional 38cms. Found in the rainforests of Brazil, Suriname, Guyana and French Guiana, red-handed tamarins have a life expectancy of around 20 years.
One of Dubai’s most popular attractions for residents and tourists, The Green Planet is a magnificent four-story bio-dome in City Walk, Dubai. The indoor tropical rainforest is filled with more than 3,000 plants and animals.
Stretching across 119 hectares and home to more than 3,000 animals, Dubai Safari Park opened in 2017 in Al Warqa. The beautiful park is split into five zones and has a strong commitment to conservation, education and sustainability.
About The Green Planet
The Green Planet is the Middle East’s only four-story glass bio-dome that invites guests to explore the planet’s fascinating flora and fauna through an immersive expedition into the tropics. Designed as an enclosed ecosystem, The Green Planet recreates the enchanting world of a tropical forest with over 3,000 plants and animals and the world’s largest indoor man-made and life-sustaining tree. Each of the four levels reflects a level of the rainforest: The Canopy that forms the roof of the rainforest, absorbing the majority of the sunlight and diffusing the rainfall; The Mid Story where trees commonly have large leaves in order to absorb any sunlight filtered down through the canopy; The Forest Floor is humid, quiet and dark, where barely any sunlight reaches the floor and The Flooded Rainforest complete with a giant aquarium filled with species such as arapaima, arowana and graceful stingrays. The Green Planet is also home to the region’s first bat cave that recreates the Seba’s bats’ natural habitat, and stays true to the cozy low-lit environments they thrive in. A host of ambassador animals have been selected to be the heroes of The Green Planet, including Fluffy, the only Bearcat in the region. Located at City Walk in Dubai, The Green Planet inspires people of all ages and nationalities to learn about and care more for every single plant and animal that inhabits the earth and provides impressive educational programs such as the Teens’ Experience Program and Zookeeper experiences that gives guests an even more enlightened experience into the enchanting rainforest world.
For more information on The Green Planet, please visit: https://www.thegreenplanetdubai.com/en
About Dubai Safari Park (please see if online)
Dubai Safari Park is home more than 3,000 animals, with 78 species of mammals – including 10 different carnivores and 17 primates – 50 types of reptiles, all living on the 119-hectare site in Al Warqa.
Dubai Safari Park features, five thematic parks for visitors to explore. Explorer Village is home to the famous Safari Journey Tour, where visitors can embark on a drive-through discovery of animals from Africa and Asia. Guides feed the guests’ curiosity with interesting animal fun facts. Arabian Desert Safari is a drive-through attraction, inspired by the vast deserts and species of the Arabian Peninsula. Guests learn about animals and the existing conservation programs to help protect them. Asian Village displays ornate architecture from the Asian continent. This village highlights animals who live in intrepid forest or pristine ponds. African Village gives visitors a true taste of Africa, housing some of the world’s smallest and largest mammals such as Gorillas, Chimpanzees, African Elephants and White Lions. Visitors can visit the Reptile House the Grand Aviary inside the village. Kids Farm is where visitors can meet farm animals including Sheep, Pygmy Goats, Ducks, Chickens, Donkeys and Ponies.
Guests can participate in live interactive feeding demonstrations and viewings of Giraffes, Birds, Guinea Pigs and Goats.