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 a remarkable shelter for many species of birds and rodents.

Al Areen is home to 45 species of mammals, 82 species of birds and 25 species of plants from the Arabian Peninsula, East Africa, North Africa and Asia. The reserve is divided into 2 distinct areas. The park first, on 3 km², 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 an additional 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 you will move to the enclosures of 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 other wallabys. Now it's time to visit one of the zoo's main attractions, the falcon tent, which houses several species of the king bird of the Arab world. 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 will be the turn of the garden reserved for marine and freshwater birds. Around the 5 artificial lakes, you will be able to admire ducks, pink flamingos or Japanese cranes. Just in front of this garden, the goat enclosures await you. The most expected animal is of course the llama, which is a good neighbor to the pygmy goat. After that, you will see one of the largest enclosures in the park, where giraffes, zebras, antelopes and gazelles are happily frolicking in complete freedom.

Then in a newly built building, the wildest and most dangerous animals are caged. Black leopard, Arabian leopard, lions and even a tiger are lounging around watching the tourists who came to admire them. Last step of the visit, the giant aviary.