Dubai’s Safari Park to open by mid 2016

With a whooping cost of Dh150 million, Dubai’s new zoo with Safari Park is expected to open by mid 2016. Covering a total area of 119 hectares, the new zoo will be home to almost 1,000 animals from around the world. The zoo will also feature more than 350 species of rare and endangered animals.

The Safari Park has been designed to be environmental friendly and will use solar energy. It will absorb sunlight, which will then be converted into conventional electricity during night time. A hybrid operational system will be used to run the irrigation network, which includes water recycling, waste disposal and other recycling facilities.

The cages have been customized to suit the local climate, and the animals will be comfortable and taken care of, as each cage will be temperature-controlled. The cages have been designed to use simple, water-cooled greenhouse technology.

The main attraction of the new zoo is that it comprises of several themed areas, including Arabian, Asian and African villages. Nearly 100 different kinds of plants will adorn the zoo, each related to the area’s theme, with over 2,500 trees.

In addition to restaurants and a food court, other attractions include an amateur golf course, a botanical garden and a butterfly garden. There will initially be 1,600 parking spaces over two designated areas, while further down the line, the municipality intends to expand it to 3,600 parking spaces over 9.4 hectares.

“The Village Safari area is almost complete, which will house the animals. The recreational areas providing umbrellas for visitors, and the cages for animals, have already been set up. We are now putting the finishing touches to the main building, as well as to the landscaping that will feature rocks, water and greenery,” said Eng Hussain Nasser Lootah, director general of Dubai Municipality.

The plans for opening a new zoo to replace the current 1.5 hectare zoo at Jumeirah Road have been in the pipeline for nearly a decade. However the construction on the project started taking shape from 2012. Once the project gets completed, the animals can be relocated to their new home at Al Warqa opposite Dragon Mart.