AL AREEN WILDLIFE PARK & RESERVE

By 1976, centuries of uncontrolled hunting had left the archipelago's flora and fauna in peril. To help maintain the species in Bahrain, the king created a nature reserve, one of the first of its kind in the region. In this part of the Bahraini desert, small thorny bushes cover the ground, providing remarkable shelter for many species of birds and rodents.

Al Areen is home to 45 mammal species, 82 bird species and 25 plant species from the Arabian Peninsula, East Africa, North Africa and Asia. The reserve is divided into 2 distinct zones. The first is the park, covering 3 km², which can be visited by minibus. The aim is to educate visitors about the natural wealth of the archipelago and the threats to wildlife. The reserve itself occupies a further 4 km², entirely dedicated to the conservation, preservation and breeding of rare animals from the Arabian Peninsula. Access is restricted to researchers and veterinarians. The tour begins with an area reserved for Arabian birds, then moves on to enclosures for oryx, gazelles, emus and ostriches. The next stop is the desert plant garden, where 25 floral species typical of the region are carefully tended. Then take a look at the camels, Arabian thoroughbreds, donkeys and wallabys. Now it's time to visit one of the zoo's main attractions, the falcon tent, home to several species of the Arab world's king bird. It is in this tent that a specialized clinic has opened its doors to private falcon owners. The clinic also treats injured wild birds. Then it's on to the garden reserved for marine and freshwater birds. Around the 5 artificial lakes, you can admire ducks, flamingos and Japanese cranes. Opposite this garden, the goat enclosures await you. The most eagerly awaited animal is of course the llama, who makes good neighbors with the pygmy goat. After that, you'll see one of the park's largest enclosures, where giraffes, zebras, zebus, antelopes and gazelles frolic happily in complete freedom. Then, in a newly-constructed building, the wildest and most dangerous animals are caged. Black leopards, Arabian leopards, lions and even a tiger bask in the view of the tourists who have come to admire them. The last stop on the tour is the giant aviary.