From sunrise feeds to sensory-friendly visits, the zoo’s team shows that kindness is a daily routine, not a once-a-year gesture
Abu Dhabi, UAE , As the world marks World Kindness Day on 13 November, Emirates Park Zoo & Resort in Al Bahia, Abu Dhabi, is highlighting the quiet acts of care that happen every day, long before the gates open and long after the last visitor leaves.
For the zoo’s keepers, kindness starts at dawn. Each morning begins with health checks, fresh diets prepared for each species and a walk through every habitat to make sure the animals are comfortable, calm and ready for the day. Around the zoo’s roughly 220 species, these routines are adapted to each animal’s age, behaviour and needs.
Kindness also means keeping minds active. Keepers design daily enrichment, from hidden food puzzles to new scents and textures, that encourages natural behaviours such as foraging, climbing and play. The veterinary team supports this with preventive care and regular check-ups, and the zoo is preparing to introduce AI-powered tools to monitor animal behaviour and welfare even more closely.
The same spirit extends to people. As a Certified Autism Center™, Emirates Park Zoo & Resort trains its staff to offer calm, guided and sensory-aware experiences, so that every guest, including People of Determination, can connect with animals in a way that feels safe and welcoming. More than 300 schools visit each year, and many of their students leave with their first lesson in caring for living things.
Dr Walid Shaaban, CEO, Emirates Park Zoo & Resort “Kindness is not a single day for our team but the way we work every day; every animal in our care depends on it, and we hope every visitor leaves inspired to show the same care to animals at home and in the wild.”
The zoo is inviting families to mark the day in simple ways: treating pets and wildlife gently, never feeding wild animals’ human food, and choosing to learn more about the animals that share the UAE.
