Explore the Falcon Hospital
Bring the king of the desert sky onto your arm
Beside Abu Dhabi International Airport lies a "featherweight" world wonder - the Abu Dhabi Falcon Hospital. Since its opening in 1999, this hospital has received over 160,000 falcons and is the world's first and currently the largest public specialized hospital for raptors.
A thousand-year-old bond with the falcon
Falcons are by no means ordinary birds in the United Arab Emirates. Since the time of the Bedouins, they have been irreplaceable companions in desert survival.
An Arabic proverb says: "The falcon is the brother of the Arabs in the sky." In the Quran, the falcon is endowed with a symbol of nobility and purity, and owning a falcon is the ultimate embodiment of status and wealth.
This special sentiment that has lasted for thousands of years has led Emirati to regard the falcon as the "national bird", and even set up a special passport for it to travel around the world with its owner.
Falcon Hospital is composed of experienced veterinarians who are highly skilled in the treatment of bird diseases and surgical operations.
In addition to professional veterinarians, the medical team also has highly skilled professionals who are responsible for assisting veterinarians in daily examinations, diagnoses and treatments, such as weighing falcons, measuring their dimensions, collecting samples, operating X-ray and endoscope equipment, and taking care of the falcons' rehabilitation and daily life after surgery.
The hospital also has a group of professional manicurists with 15 to 20 years of working experience. They provide manicure services for falcons to prevent their feet from being scratched due to overly long nails.
Here, you can spend 2 hours learning about the traditional falcon cultural heritage, exploring the special falcon tools and equipment on display, watching the medical processes such as feather restoration and claw care of falcons, getting up close and personal with falcons, and having the opportunity to land a majestic falcon on your arm to take a precious photo. At the hospital's large free-flying aviary, you can watch falcons fly freely.
The Falcon Hospital in Abu Dhabi is a window that showcases to the world the deep love and reverence that Emirati people have for falcons. Let global tourists be able to experience the falcon culture up close and understand this eternal pursuit of speed, power and the sky that flows in the blood of the United Arab Emirates
