Abu Dhabi Falcon Hospital shortlisted for international Middle East Responsible Tourism Award

Abu Dhabi, March 21, 2013 (WAM) - The Abu Dhabi Falcon Hospital (ADFH) has been shortlisted for the 20th World Travel Awards' (WTA) Middle East's Responsible Tourism Award category as one of three best responsible tourism entities in the Middle East. The voting is now open to the public and ends on April 4, 2013, and if ADFH wins this regional award, it will make the final shortlist of nominees in the World' category. ADFH, which was established by the Environment Agency - Abu Dhabi (EAD) in 1999, is yesterday the largest falcon hospital in the world. Since it was established, it has cared for more than 55,000 patients from the Gulf region, treating and examining more than 7,000 falcons each year. Six years ago it began opening its doors to tens of thousands of tourists from all over the world, making it one of the most sought after tourism destinations in the Emirate. The annual WTA programme has become known as the most prestigious and comprehensive in the travel and tourism industry, where votes are made by professionals working within travel and tourism, as well as the general public. The category for which ADFH is shortlisted for is the Responsible Tourism Awards, which recognises individuals or organisations that are making a significant contribution to the culture and economies of local communities and are having a positive impact on biodiversity conservation. ADFH provides comprehensive services for a wide range of customers. These services include falcon treatment and lab services equipped with the latest technology where the lab acts as the Avian Influenza Reference lab for the Abu Dhabi Emirate. ADFH also houses the first animal shelter for the Emirate of Abu Dhabi, where pets for adoption are kept and neutering for the Trap-Neuter-Release programme takes place, as well as a pet care centre which offers services such as surgeries, boarding, grooming and dog training. The hospital also carries out a Falcon Breeding Programme and a Saker Falcon Breeding Programme, where the aim is to breed Saker falcons that will be released back into the wild as part of the late Sheikh Zayed Falcon Release Programme. – Emirates News Agency, WAM