Ethical Animal Tourism in Dubai

As an ecotourism company we are pleased to attract responsible travellers who care about the welfare of animals in tourism. Camels, falcons and wildlife like Arabian oryx are part the experiences offered on our Desert Safaris. Their wellbeing and welfare is very important to us and we can assure you that we work with these animals very ethically.

AAccording to Global Welfare Guidance for Animals in Tourism, the welfare of an animal is considered according to whether it is healthy, comfortable, safe, well-nourished, able to express their innate behavior and not suffering any pain, distress or fear. We ensure that all of our animals are kept in this state of being. When done ethically, animal tourism can have many benefits such as protecting animal species, enhancing education around biodiversity, contributing financially to conservation projects and honouring the cultural significance of animals. To ensure that we care humanely and with respect for all the animals on our experiences, we make sure that we act in accordance with transparent and robust animal welfare standards.

ABTA produced the Global Welfare Guidance for Animals in Tourism which is a practical guide for travel businesses and suppliers of animal experiences. The aim is to encourage good practice in animal protection and welfare to ensure that the best interests of animals in tourism is always protected. We follow this practical guide which established the Five Freedoms as the minimum standard that all animals in the tourism industry should have. This is to ensure that we meet the mental and physical needs of all the animals in our care.

Freedoms Of Animal Welfare

We Follow The Five Freedoms Of Animal Welfare To Ensure That The Well-being Of Our Animals Is Always Maintained:

Freedom from hunger or thirst.
Freedom from discomfort.
Freedom from pain, injury, or disease.
Freedom to express (most) normal behavior.
Freedom from fear and distress.

Ethical Camel Trekking In Dubai

Our Heritage Safari by camel includes a 60-minute camel ride; we offer shorter camel rides (15 minutes) on most of our other Desert Safaris. All of our camels are extremely well looked after. They live on a camel farm together and are only ridden twice a day, and get a break day every week. Our camels are cherished by our camel handlers and they are looked after like beloved pets. With high quality food, daily showers and frequent vet checkups, our camels are all very healthy and in good condition. We have strict rules about how much weight our camels can carry and all the saddles are created with soft padding to ensure the comfort of the camels. It’s usually quite obvious to tell when a camel is in bad condition or not very happy. An easy way for travellers to find out if the camel trekking is ethical is by asking questions related to the five freedoms mentioned above.

Find out more information about our Heritage Camel Safari

Ethical Falconry In Dubai

We often get questions related to whether falconry is cruel or not. It is good to see that there are responsible tourists who care about the wellbeing of animals and we are always happy to answer questions related to our ethical falcon shows in Dubai. Our expert falconers have a combined experience of 100 years working with falcons. Each falconer has a few falcons to look after and train; they form strong connections with them and learn everything there is to know about them such as their likes, dislikes, fears and favourite ways of training.

These falcons live a much longer and healthier life than their wild counterparts who would face struggles like fatal diseases, predators and difficulty finding food at times. We are very against animal cruelty and it is something we don’t consider lightly. Our falcons are domesticated and treated like beloved pets, similar to the human relationship with dogs and cats. The falcons’ hood or ‘burka’ is used to make the falcon feel safe.

Find out more information about Ethical Falcon Shows in Dubai

Sustainable Wildlife Drives In Dubai

Most Desert Safaris in Dubai offer dune bashing which is the leading cause to severe desertification. This is an environmental degradation where desert vegetation and wildlife is lost. As a sustainable alternative we offer wildlife drives on set tracks in the Dubai Desert Conservation Reserve where there is a focus on entertaining and educating guests with insights about the native fauna and flora of the desert. This reserve is home to the famous Arabian oryx which was saved from extinction

Our wildlife drives are eco-friendly and we work with a professional Conservationist to ensure that we never disrupt the natural habitat of the desert animals and plants.

Find out more about our Desert safaris in the Dubai Desert Conservation Reserve