Nowadays, drones and GoPro cameras give us aerial views of the globe. But long before that, birds of prey combed miles of desert in search of food for the nomadic Bedouin people. A sport exclusively for kings and aristocracy, falconry literally meant life or death for Bedouins of the Middle Eastern deserts. Success meant whether the tribe ate that night. Today, falcons, “retired” from hunting, are prized and revered pets in the United Arab Emirates UAE.
The Abu Dhabi Falcon Hospital, the first of its kind in the world, was established in 1999. It treats, studies, and rehabilitates these beautiful birds. At this unique hospital, the falcons are cared for by a team of veterinary staff from all corners of the globe. Some of the birds cost as much as a luxury car.
Ironically, all the falconers are men, including the receptionists. But a female veterinarian heads the hospital.
And a Westerner at that, Dr. Margit Gabriele Muller, is the executive director. What began as a small endeavor, with trust and respect not easily won or given in this tribal and patriarchal society, became the cradle of modern falcon medicine in the 21st century. The Falcon Hospital is so critical that two previously unknown diseases have been discovered there. Under Dr. Muller’s tenure, the lifespan of falcons increased from 12-15 years to 18-20 years. She encourages falconers to ensure regular check-ups for their pets. Even the Emirati royal family relies on Dr. Muller’s expertise for their own falcons.
Services include wing, talon, and beak trims (performed under anesthesia) and full-service boarding. During the May–September molting season, staff treat these birds like VIPs. The hospital provides a separate exercise building where they can fly laps. This building includes air conditioning, a “spa,” small pools, and an area where the birds can soak up some rays with their feathered friends. Here, they live the good life! The Falcon World Tour allows visitors to learn about the history of the Bedouin desert. As visitors learn, birds of prey perch on their gloved hands for belly rubs.
Where else can you get this up close and personal with a falcon? What secrets of the desert must these prized pets know?
The hospital recently opened its latest venture. The Five Star Avian Hotel ADFH provides short- or long-term stays for falcons and parrots. Each spacious room is designed for free movement and flight. Each room is completely equipped with toys, climbing trees, and a music system for avian enjoyment.
during the day.
In the U.A.E., temperatures already approach triple digits in late April. These temperatures ground the falcons for the summer. With the molting season just days away, the falcons begin to shed feathers, and flying can become lethal. Even the loss of a single flight feather can destroy their balance and almost guarantees a crash on impact.
When they’re not receiving treatment at the hospital, these birds live as full-fledged globetrotters. Emiratis revere them so much that officials issue each falcon its own passport for international travel. The passport shows the bird’s picture, pedigree, and vital statistics, along with the owner’s name and photo. Between 2002 and 2013, authorities issued 28,000 falcon passports, which helped combat bird smuggling. With their green U.A.E. government-issued passports, the falcons fly alongside their owners, usually in business or first class. These prized pets rarely touch a coach seat and never ride in the cargo hold. We should all be so lucky!
What sets falcons apart from other predatory animals is that they can be trained to deliver their prey without killing it first.
That’s what makes them prized pets. Way before they “officially” held passports, they were travelers. Imagine what they must have seen soaring high above the desert for centuries! So entwined with Middle Eastern culture and history, UNESCO included the sport of falconry in its Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. In the U.A.E., the image of the falcon is everywhere, even on bank notes.
The Falcon Hospital is an experience that visitors to Abu Dhabi will not want to miss. Book at Falcon World Tour or Abu Dhabi Falcon Hospital to discover this fascinating, one-of-a-kind hospital to learn about Emirati and Bedouin culture and these beloved birds of prey. Book well in advance as tours sell out quickly!
Guest Writer: Audra Brianne
A self-professed travel junkie, Audra has been traveling her entire adult life. As a teenager, she landed a dream job with an international airline out of JFK. From there, she hit the skies while simultaneously attending university for her B.A. After discovering Great Escape Publishing-and its precursor I.T.W.P.A.-a passion for photography & writing was born. Never dreaming that monetizing her passion project was even possible, she started exploring multiple avenues: travel writing, photography, blogging, lecturing, and videography.
Audra took the creative images in this story during her visit to the Abu Dhabi Falcon Hospital and learned just how prized these pets are.
I met Audra halfway around the world during a Great Escape Publishing photography expedition to Jordan, led by award-winning freelance documentary filmmaker Joe Sindorf. Audra and I recently reunited stateside in scenic Greenville, S.C., for a fun-filled exploration of photography and food. More on that in a later blog! Even though we sometimes stumble over our “Yankee” vs. “Southern” accents, we cemented a fast friendship over our love of travel, travel writing, and photography.
More information.
To learn more about the fate of endangered falcons in the UAE, visit the Sheik Zayed Falcon Release Program, named for the first president of the United Arab Emirates.
An entertaining read: The Falcon Thief: A True Tale of Adventure, Treachery, and the Hunt for the Perfect Bird Hardcover – February 11, 2020 by Joshua Hammer (Author)
Click the link below for another story about birds of prey.
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