An Arabian Oryx south of Abu Dhabi. Karim Sahib / AFP
An Arabian Oryx south of Abu Dhabi. Karim Sahib / AFP
An Arabian Oryx south of Abu Dhabi. Karim Sahib / AFP
An Arabian Oryx south of Abu Dhabi. Karim Sahib / AFP

The UAE's only wild hunting resort says visitor numbers are growing


John Dennehy
  • English
  • Arabic

The roar of wild animals, iced drinks under the stars and rifles jacked up against backpacks – it sounds like a passage from Ernest Hemingway’s classic safari journal Green Hills of Africa, but only a few miles from the capital in the deserts of Al Ain, hunters from across the globe are legally hunting for trophy game such as Arabian oryx and gazelle.

Telal Hunting opened in 2015 and is based at the Telal Resort in Al Ain. The 80 square kilometre complex also offers safari trips where guests can see these indigenous Middle Eastern animals in the wild. It's the only place in the UAE where these animals can be hunted legally in their natural environment.

Hans Enslin is the hunting manager. “In our boundaries it’s legal to hunt,” he said at the Arabian Travel Market on Monday.

The operation is fully licensed by Abu Dhabi and the numbers visiting are growing. The season runs from October to March and from just 25 paying hunters in 2015, at least 95 came this season – seventy of which are from the GCC and Emirati. Guests also come from traditional hunting communities in Europe, Russia, the US, South America and Mexico.

People do not need shooting experience, but most do and many have a military background. Every hunting guest, no matter what their expertise, is still taken to a shooting range under Mr Enslin’s eye and if he believes the animals won’t be killed cleanly, then the shoot is cancelled.

“We don’t want to wound the animals and let them off into the desert because it’s not what we are about,” he said. In addition to the Arabian oryx, or maha in Arabic, there is the Arabian sand gazelle, or reem, and the Arabian mountain gazelle, or domani.

Telal Hunting provides all equipment – hunting rifles, optics and hunting systems. The area is fenced off from camels to protect the habitat and has been maintained as a natural desert.

Hans Enslin of Telal Wild Hunting at the Arabian Travel Market Dubai. Leslie Pableo / National
Hans Enslin of Telal Wild Hunting at the Arabian Travel Market Dubai. Leslie Pableo / National

If you are a GCC resident, it will cost about Dh3,700 for one gazelle, while oryx is around Dh37,000. If you don’t manage to kill anything, you don’t pay anything. Local guests can take home the meat and while international guests can’t do this, some take home antlers as trophies.

“I can teach. I’ve taken people with no experience, even Emirati ladies,” said Mr Enslin, who is from South Africa and previously worked in the Kruger National Park as a ranger.

The hunting is just one of many activities at the hotel. Also on offer is falconry, houbara hunting with falcons, safari drives, zip lines, sandboarding and archery. The hotel stay is completely separate but you don’t have to stay at the hotel to hunt.

“This whole thing is based on conservation,” said Mr Enslin. “Animals are bred there, but roam freely. Only excess males are hunted.”

When asked about him about whether killing animals for enjoyment is justified, Mr Enslin is firm that hunting allows these animals and their natural habitats to thrive. Otherwise the desert-like environment would simply not be able to sustain them in numbers, he said.

“It’s an age old argument we don’t need. But if it pays, it stays. Hunting is a tool in conservation to make habitat available. The more hunting you have, the more wild animals you have. It’s not just about the animal but also the habitat.

______________

Read more:

Al Ain Zoo names baby rhino after Sudan

Oryx released into sprawling Abu Dhabi reserve

Oman opens sprawling oryx reserve to tourists

______________

“People buy a fish in the market, but they don’t think about where it comes from. But when you see a photograph of a guy with a dead animal it becomes an emotional issue,” he said.

Whatever side of the argument you come down on, it’s clear business is growing. The operation is also present at the annual Adihex hunting exhibition in Abu Dhabi and he attends trade exhibitions across the globe.

Separately, the UAE is committed to conserving oryx and gazelle. Sir Bani Yas Island for example is just of the protected areas where they roam safely in natural habitats.

“We are still building this as hunting is still viewed negatively across the world by different communities. This is the flagship model and if it works, hopefully there’ll be more.”

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Getting there

The flights

Flydubai operates up to seven flights a week to Helsinki. Return fares to Helsinki from Dubai start from Dh1,545 in Economy and Dh7,560 in Business Class.

The stay

Golden Crown Igloos in Levi offer stays from Dh1,215 per person per night for a superior igloo; www.leviniglut.net 

Panorama Hotel in Levi is conveniently located at the top of Levi fell, a short walk from the gondola. Stays start from Dh292 per night based on two people sharing; www. golevi.fi/en/accommodation/hotel-levi-panorama

Arctic Treehouse Hotel in Rovaniemi offers stays from Dh1,379 per night based on two people sharing; www.arctictreehousehotel.com

If you go

Flying

Despite the extreme distance, flying to Fairbanks is relatively simple, requiring just one transfer in Seattle, which can be reached directly from Dubai with Emirates for Dh6,800 return.

 

Touring

Gondwana Ecotours’ seven-day Polar Bear Adventure starts in Fairbanks in central Alaska before visiting Kaktovik and Utqiarvik on the North Slope. Polar bear viewing is highly likely in Kaktovik, with up to five two-hour boat tours included. Prices start from Dh11,500 per person, with all local flights, meals and accommodation included; gondwanaecotours.com 

The specs

Engine: 1.5-litre turbo

Power: 181hp

Torque: 230Nm

Transmission: 6-speed automatic

Starting price: Dh79,000

On sale: Now

MOUNTAINHEAD REVIEW

Starring: Ramy Youssef, Steve Carell, Jason Schwartzman

Director: Jesse Armstrong

Rating: 3.5/5

What can victims do?

Always use only regulated platforms

Stop all transactions and communication on suspicion

Save all evidence (screenshots, chat logs, transaction IDs)

Report to local authorities

Warn others to prevent further harm

Courtesy: Crystal Intelligence

GAC GS8 Specs

Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo

Power: 248hp at 5,200rpm

Torque: 400Nm at 1,750-4,000rpm

Transmission: 8-speed auto

Fuel consumption: 9.1L/100km

On sale: Now

Price: From Dh149,900

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Lexus LX700h specs

Engine: 3.4-litre twin-turbo V6 plus supplementary electric motor

Power: 464hp at 5,200rpm

Torque: 790Nm from 2,000-3,600rpm

Transmission: 10-speed auto

Fuel consumption: 11.7L/100km

On sale: Now

Price: From Dh590,000

David Haye record

Total fights: 32
Wins: 28
Wins by KO: 26
Losses: 4

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Tearful appearance

Chancellor Rachel Reeves set markets on edge as she appeared visibly distraught in parliament on Wednesday. 

Legislative setbacks for the government have blown a new hole in the budgetary calculations at a time when the deficit is stubbornly large and the economy is struggling to grow. 

She appeared with Keir Starmer on Thursday and the pair embraced, but he had failed to give her his backing as she cried a day earlier.

A spokesman said her upset demeanour was due to a personal matter.

BUNDESLIGA FIXTURES

Saturday, May 16 (kick-offs UAE time)

Borussia Dortmund v Schalke (4.30pm) 
RB Leipzig v Freiburg (4.30pm) 
Hoffenheim v Hertha Berlin (4.30pm) 
Fortuna Dusseldorf v Paderborn  (4.30pm) 
Augsburg v Wolfsburg (4.30pm) 
Eintracht Frankfurt v Borussia Monchengladbach (7.30pm)

Sunday, May 17

Cologne v Mainz (4.30pm),
Union Berlin v Bayern Munich (7pm)

Monday, May 18

Werder Bremen v Bayer Leverkusen (9.30pm)

RESULT

Bayern Munich 5 Eintrracht Frankfurt 2
Bayern:
 Goretzka (17'), Müller (41'), Lewandowski (46'), Davies (61'), Hinteregger (74' og)    
Frankfurt: Hinteregger (52', 55')

THE CLOWN OF GAZA

Director: Abdulrahman Sabbah 

Starring: Alaa Meqdad

Rating: 4/5