EAD organizes media tour to Abu Dhabi Falcon Hospital

It was organized within the framework of the Agency's Media Tour Programme that as launched in 2006 to aid local, regional and international journalists in their task to bring the environmental message to the public and to instill in them an increased respect and interest in the environment.

H.E. Majid Al Mansouri, EAD's Secretary General, said that (ADFH) is a world-wide largest falcon hospital provides comprehensive veterinary care to falcons, other species of raptors and all other birds as a self sustaining business entity.

He said the Hospital offers different services including comprehensive veterinary care to falcons, other species of raptors and all other birds, Pet Care Center offers a full range of services for pets, tourism programmes and identification of new business areas in this field, provides training and internships in the avian veterinary field to interested participants from all over the world and rehabilitates confiscated falcons and other raptors and re-introduces wild falcons in the wild population through the late Sheikh Zayed Falcon Release Programme.

Also the ADFH laboratory caters as the Avian Influenza Reference Laboratory for the Emirate and other lab services to external customers, serves as Avian Influenza quarantine for falcons for Abu Dhabi Emirate and promotes disease awareness and prevention campaigns.

Director of ADFH, Dr. Margit Muller, who accompanied the journalists on tour, said that ADFH, is the first public falcon hospital in the United Arab Emirates. Opened on 3rd of October, 1999, as affiliate of the Environment Agency Abu Dhabi (EAD), it has become the largest falcon hospital in the UAE with a patient influx of more than 31,500 patients in the first nine years of existence. Moreover, the Abu Dhabi Falcon Hospital has emerged as one of the most reputed falcon hospitals in the Gulf region and has become the largest falcon hospital world-wide.

"Over the years, the ADFH has established a loyal and a wide patient-base not just in the UAE, but also in countries like Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait and Bahrain"

she noted.

She said "the high standard of professionalism of all ADFH staff and the customer-oriented, extensive experience in diagnosis, treatment and disease prevention are available now for falcons, all kinds of birds including pet birds and poultry farms to let their owners benefit from our extraordinary experience. The ADFH laboratory performs accurate and advanced lab examinations for all avian and pets in a fast and reliable way with its latest high-tech equipment and highly experienced, committed staff".

"The ADFH has a unique falconry museum highlighting the tradition of falconry in the middle-east with displays of special tools and equipment of falconry" Dr. Margit said.