make way for cheetahs

April 13th, 2010

Four adorable cheetahs were born on Sir Bani Yas Island, part of Desert Islands Resort & Spa by Anantara, Abu Dhabi. This was a result of a successful breeding program attempting to bring back the population of cheetahs, extinct in the United Arab Emirates and vulnerable worldwide. The proud parents of the cubs were raised in captivity, but were trained to hunt and be self-sufficient before being released into the Arabian Wildlife Park and are now able hunt and fend for themselves without human interference. Their cubs will be raised completely in the wild. Safira, the cubs’ mother, is keeping a careful watch over her progeny and hasn’t moved them from their birthplace in a small cave in the mountains. Once the cubs start venturing beyond the cave, visitors to the island will be able to see them roaming the 10,131-acre park. Guests can also take guided tours through the park and learn about the Arabian free-roaming animal inhabitants. The Arabian Wildlife Park is the only one of its kind in the region and has successfully reintroduced hyenas and the Arabian Oryx. The Oryx was the flagship specie on Sir Bani Yas and was introduced in 1971 and declared extinct in the wild by 1972. Now, there are around 400 Arabian Oryx on the island roaming freely in the park.

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