FALCONS can hunt birds and bring down small mammals in the wild at speeds of 250-300 kilometres an hour.
But today these birds, the national emblem of the United Arab Emirates, are sitting hooded and docile in the waiting room of the Abu Dhabi Falcon Hospital waiting for their pedicures.
The birds, that live in Abu Dhabi homes as one of the family, need to have their claws and beaks regularly trimmed under light anaesthetic now they are no longer in the wild.
In the past, Bedouins relied on the falcon, which they trapped and trained to hunt meat. It was the only way they could survive in the desert.
While people are no longer allowed to keep wild falcons, the tradition of breeding and keeping them continues.
The hospital’s executive director, German-born vet Dr Margit Muller, believes it keeps the people strongly connected to their traditions and stops them getting lost entirely to a modern world.
“The love the falconer has for his falcon is always with him,” she said.
Dr Muller said while the falcon looked powerful it was also extremely delicate, which meant vets had to be very fast and very accurate in their diagnosis when birds were brought in ill or injured. “You challenge yourself constantly,” she said.
The hospital is the largest and most prestigious of its kind in the world and is one of Abu Dhabi’s main tourist attractions.
During the two-hour daily tours, visitors are taken into the surgery to witness a procedure. The surgery comes equipped with a “spare parts” drawer containing feathers retrieved from moulting birds ready to be glued to injured birds to help them fly properly again.
Many owners participate in the sport of falconry around the world, and the birds travel on their own UAE passports. It is the only bird or animal that can travel in a UAE aircraft as a passenger.
If you go...
STAY: The Ritz-Carlton Abu Dhabi, Grand Canal, is one of the finest five-star hotels in Abu Dhabi and the closest to the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque.
When the temperature is nudging 40 it’s a relief to step into the Venetian styled high-ceiling foyer and be offered a refreshing drink.
The hotel is cleverly designed around water features and lush gardens with its own beach. After the long flight from Australia the tranquil waterfront location with guest rooms, suites and private villas, is a welcome oasis.
And with eight restaurants, from fine dining to a casual cafe to choose from, it’s just the place if you want to stay put and relax –www.ritzcarlton.com
BEACHFRONT Jumeirah at Etihad Towers, on the West Corniche, offers a private beach and beautiful outdoor pools. The 280-metre tall luxury hotel, part of a five-tower property, has 382 guest rooms and suites with sea views.
Adding to its charm is a selection of flagship stores and boutiques, restaurants and free guest entry to the connecting observation deck which offers views over Abu Dhabi, including a bird’s eye view of the Presidential Palace.
The hotel’s breakfast buffet, with live cooking stations, is in itself a trip around the world with food to satisfy every conceivable taste. For lunch and dinner guests are spoilt for choice with Japanese, Indian, Italian and Lebanese restaurants among the offerings. At Li Beirut, chef Jouni Ibrahim takes classic Lebanese cuisine to the next level with memorable delicacies like kebbeh stuffed with foie gras. www.jumeirah.com
