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Al Areen Wildlife Park and Reserve – Hamad Town Bahrain
picture courtesy Brain McMorrow Part of a recently developed area of the country that caters to visitors and residents alike the Al-Areen Wildlife Park is a must see experience for wildlife enthusiasts and other interested visitors as it maintains a small but well kept area for local animal wildlife, namely the Oryx but also the Adax and Reem Gazelle. The Wildlife Park is a Reserve with about half of its land open to the paying public opened in 1975 with an aim to preserving local and native animals in their indigenous habitats. The Al-Areen development is about a forty minute trip outside of Manama and includes a modern waterpark and several upscale hotels and spas including the Al Areen Palace. You can and should either stay at Al Areen (in “Hamad Town”) while visiting or make sure to plan on traveling early with your group (via rental car or have your hotel arrange your tour). Visitors to the Wildlife Park and Reserve pay about one Bahraini Dinar (1 BD) for a tour and overview of the facility. The tour includes a short video about the wildlife in the area and a bus ride through the reserve and sometimes visitors can take their own vehicle and listen to the tour on an FM broadcast radio station (ask before going if you are interested, phone number below). The park/drive through zoo is a great example of over 200 desert species of animals including several bird areas and scores of the variety of majestically horned Oryx and other animals native to the Gulf region and some even extinct in the wild. Other animals of interest include several from Africa. Arabian animals on exhibit include the addax (screwhorn antelope – rare in the wild), Arabian oryx (extinct in the wild), dama gazelle (from Africa also), Nubian ibex (aprox. 1200 in the wild left), wild goat, barbary sheep (a goat/antelope), camels, ostriches, flamingos, ducks, pelicans and Asiatic onagers (aka Wild Asian Ass – somewhat bigger than a donkey). Near the front entrance is a walking area where you can observe birds and other animals on foot. On location includes a cafeteria with drinks and snacks and the reserve is also near the Al Areen hotels and waterpark as well.
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