Falcons are feathering at Abu Dhabi hospital
Audio 02:29
A hawk in Abu Dhabi hospital.
© Nicolas Keraudren
By: Nicolas Keraudren Follow
8 min
Abu Dhabi Falcon Hospital is the largest in the world.
Thousands of birds are treated there every year.
A prestigious treatment is reserved for them.
Because in the United Arab Emirates, the falcon is much more than a bird.
It is a symbol inherited from Bedouin culture that the local authorities want to promote among the younger generations.
Publicity
A few kilometers from Abu Dhabi, the capital of the United Arab Emirates, is the largest avian medical facility in the world.
This falcon hospital welcomes 11,000 birds per year.
Falconers from all over the Arabian Peninsula flock there to entrust their raptor to Margit Muller, the hospital's German veterinarian since 2001.
“Before, there was no such hospital. It is something unique. It was therefore necessary to sensitize the falconers to make them understand the importance of medical care. The falcon is certainly a very large bird, but it is also very fragile. When he gets sick he can die quickly, ”she
explains
.
Abu Dhabi Falcon Hospital is the largest in the world.
Thousands of birds are treated there every year.
A prestigious treatment is reserved for them.
© Nicolas Keraudren
That day in the hospital, about fifty hawks wearing a hood await their turn.
The restlessness of the nursing staff contrasts with the calm of the static birds of prey on their perch.
Most of them are examined for a simple health check which costs around a hundred euros.
An affordable price according to the veterinarian.
“The hospital is a public facility that is part of the Abu Dhabi government. The idea was to make care accessible to all falconers because not all are easy. And here falconry is practiced by everyone. From the royal family to the most modest Bedoins ”.
Democratization of falconry
Over the years, the practice of falconry in the Emirates has indeed been democratized.
For example, the hospital organizes tourist visits to raise public awareness.
A museum traces the history of the place created in 1999 by Sheikh Zayed, the founder of the country.
Fahad al Badi is one of the organizers of these visits.
“For us, the falcon is like a member of the family.
Some take care of it like a child, he
says
.
Because at the time, the falcon was one of the only means for the Bedouins to stock up on meat.
They used the falcon to hunt in the desert.
It is for this reason that the falcon is so valuable to us ”.
Falcons in Abu Dhabi hospital.
© Nicolas Keraudren
In UAE society, the raptor still occupies an important place.
He himself holds a passport like any other citizen.
His personal information is listed there to facilitate the procedures when he leaves the country with his owner.
Even if its main function is no longer hunting, it is nonetheless a way for Emirati people to reconnect with the Bedouin roots of the country.
Because in fifty years of existence, the petromonarchy has undergone a dazzling transformation.
The Abu Dhabi Emirate's Cultural Programs Committee therefore tries to promote this heritage of traditions among the younger generations.
A symbol of UAE culture
“As a government entity, it is very important for us to create bridges between what we are doing, that is to say the development of our country, and our history,
explains Eissa Saif Al Mazrouei. , the vice-president of this committee.
The younger generations should not forget what their father and grandfather did in the past.
Promoting our culture is one way to help them move forward.
And of course, the falcon is one of the symbols of this culture ”.
Each year, for example, falcon races are organized.
During the Al Dhafra festival, which takes place every year in December and January, the best falconers in the region compete for several titles.
Birds, sometimes thrown at more than 300 km / h behind prey, must travel a certain distance as soon as possible.
Authorities are also releasing falcons into the wild.
A total of 2,000 birds have been released on the main raptor migratory routes over the past 25 years.
The mission of the Abu Dhabi Falcon Hospital is to oversee this program.
Because in the Emirates, the falcon is much more than a bird.
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Wildlife
United Arab Emirates