AL AIN, UAE: The ages of some of the oldest animals in the care of Al Ain Zoo have exceeded their normal life expectancy in the wild.
A 36-year-old chimpanzee, a 47-year-old lappet-faced vulture and a 34-year-old mugger crocodile are among those aging animals at Al Ain Zoo, reported the Emirates News Agency, WAM, on Wednesday.
Since the animals have been protected from overhunting and the inevitable urban sprawl they would face, the long lifespans of these species has exceeded their life expectancy in their natural habitat by decades, said WAM.
The zoo, which houses over 4,000 animals, implements modern, state-of-the-art technologies and strategies for the registration, monitoring, genetic study, veterinary care and behavioral rehabilitation of its animals.
Ghanim Mubarak Al-Hajjeri, director-general of the zoo and Aquarium Public Institution in Al Ain, said: “We are living in the age of technology, and we must utilize it to the maximum in our work.”
The zoo uses ZIMS, a wildlife management software, considered one of the best resources for zoos as it provides reliable information on animals and their environments to serve animal management and accomplish conservation goals.
Al Ain Zoo also uses advanced genetic conservation programs to maintain genetic integrity and ensure the preservation of species, with the possibility of releasing some healthy offspring into the wild to help repopulation.
According to Al-Hajjeri, the technologies adopted by the zoo have saved a tremendous amount of both effort and time and, over the years, have provided highly accurate results in monitoring animals, studying their behavioral patterns and keeping an eye on their health, while supporting the zoo’s mission to protect endangered species.
The technology-based strategies, he explained, range from animal facial recognition and DNA analysis to physical and behavioral rehabilitation and the collection of data to share with global agencies in order to join forces in the quest for wildlife preservation.
With the use of modern technology, Al-Hajjeri said, the most basic animal calming techniques become safer and more efficient.
“It all contributes to improving the quality of life of animals and adds to our ability to preserve wildlife,” he said.
Ages of oldest animals in the care of Al Ain Zoo exceed normal lifespan
https://arab.news/wsb8c
Ages of oldest animals in the care of Al Ain Zoo exceed normal lifespan
- Zoo is adopting world-class technologies in wildlife conservation
- Animals have been protected from overhunting and inevitable urban sprawl
ABC signs Jimmy Kimmel to a one-year contract extension, months after temporary suspension
President Donald Trump won’t be getting his wish. ABC said Monday it has signed late-night comic Jimmy Kimmel to a one-year contract extension.
Kimmel’s previous, multiyear contract had been set to expire next May, so the extension will keep him on the air until at least May 2027.
Kimmel’s future looked questionable in September, when ABC suspended “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” for remarks made following the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk. Following a public outcry, ABC lifted the suspension, and Kimmel returned to the air with much stronger ratings than he had before.
He continued his relentless joking at the president’s expense, leading Trump to urge the network to “get the bum off the air” in a social media post last month. The post followed Kimmel’s nearly 10-minute monologue on Trump and the Jeffrey Epstein files.
Kimmel was even on Trump’s mind Sunday as the president hosted the Kennedy Center Honors in Washington.
“I’ve watched some of the people that host,” Trump said. “I’ve watched some of the people that host. Jimmy Kimmel was horrible, and some of these people, if I can’t beat out Jimmy Kimmel in terms of talent, then I don’t think I should be president.”
Kimmel has hosted the Oscars four times, but he’s never hosted the Kennedy Center show.
Just last week, Kimmel was needling Trump on the president’s approval ratings. “There are gas stations on Yelp with higher approval ratings than Trump right now,” he said.
Kimmel will be staying longer than late-night colleague Stephen Colbert at CBS. The network announced this summer it was ending Colbert’s show next May for economic reasons, even though it is the top-rated network show in late-night television.
ABC has aired Kimmel’s late-night show since 2003, during a time of upheaval in the industry. Like much of broadcast television, late-night ratings are down. Viewers increasingly turn to watching monologues online the day after they appear.
Most of Kimmel’s recent renewals have been multiyear extensions. There was no immediate word on whose choice it was to extend his current contract by one year.
Following Kirk’s killing, Kimmel was criticized for saying that “the MAGA gang” was “desperately trying to characterize this kid who murdered Charlie Kirk as anything other than one of them and doing everything they can to score political points from it.” The Nexstar and Sinclair television ownership groups said it would take Kimmel off the air, leading to ABC’s suspension.
When he returned to the air, Kimmel did not apologize for his remarks, but he said he did not intend to blame any specific group for Kirk’s assassination. He said “it was never my intention to make the light of the murder of a young man.”
