Himalayan bears arrive for new life in Jordan after Cher intervened to rescue elephant comrade


Khaled Yacoub Oweis
  • English
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Two brown Himalayan bears neglected at a Pakistani zoo arrived on Thursday in Jordan after US music icon Cher took up the cause of an Asian elephant at the same zoo.

Their plight has shed light on the intricate diplomacy involved in animal welfare and the star power that can make rescues possible. Pakistani authorities are sensitive to suggestions that animals in their custody were being mistreated.

Female bear Suzie and her companion Bubloo were offloaded from a Qatari passenger plane into the cargo terminal of Amman airport. They arrived in white cages and had a shell shocked appearance after the one stop flight from Pakistan.

The media was asked to leave the airport as soon as they landed, indicating the sensitivity of the operation.

Jordanian veterinarian Abdelrahman Muayyad was waiting to take the bears to a minimum three-week quarantine on the outskirts of Amman. They will be tranquilised and then examined on their arrival into quarantine.

"Jordan is a new place for them and definitely they will see stress and some nervousness," Mr Muayyad told The National.

Once out of quarantine, the bears will be moved to Al Mawa for Nature and Wildlife, a sanctuary near the famed Roman ruins of Jerash, north of Amman.

There are already a total of 10 brown Syrian and black Asian bears at the reserve but Suzie and Bubloo will be kept separate from them.

Last month Kaavan, a 36-year old widowed elephant, made it from Islamabad Zoo to a wildlife sanctuary in northern Cambodia. Once there, he mingled with its species for the first time since his mate died in 2012.

Kaavan’s journey to a less lonely existence involved years of effort by popstar Cher.

She met Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan in November and thanked him “for making it possible for me to take Kaavan to Cambodia”.

Suzie the bear suffered from a botched operation to remove a tumour from her chest earlier this year.

The bear was critically ill before Four Paws International, an animal support organisation in Vienna, again operated on the 17-year old.

Mr Muayyad said the Jordanian keepers of Suzie and Bubloo will help them manage their stress levels and give them toys to take their minds away “from thinking of escape”.

“We will provide them with enough food and toys to reduce nervous signs they may have,” said Mr Muayyad, who has a pet rabbit called Mukhles (loyal).

The bears arrived to a relatively cold climate by Jordanian standards of around 5 degrees Celsius. Jordanian summer is scorching and the country is arid.

There will be heated dens waiting for them near Jerash, and in the summer they will have access to their own private swimming pool.

“Bears can surprisingly manage in any temperature orbit,” Mr Muayyad said.

Four Paws transported the two bears to Jordan. The organisation also helped set up the sanctuary near Jerash, together with the Princess Alia Foundation, overseen by King’s Abdullah’s elder half-sister Alia.

Pakistani authorities had reportedly been reluctant to let the two bears, and the elephant Kaavan, leave Pakistan for fear of damage to their image.

Jordan has good relationships with Pakistan and princess Sarvath, the wife of former Jordanian crown prince Hassan, uncle of the king, has strong links to Pakistan.

Jordan, which has a population of 10 million people, is not known to be an animal friendly country. Street cats go hungry in Amman and may die from parasitic diseases that could be easily treated or prevented, veterinarians say. Farm animals, especially donkeys, are malnourished and overworked.

But members of the royal family have keen interest in horses and have promoted animal welfare. Donor funding for animal shelters helped somewhat mitigate in the last two decades animal maltreatment, but it remains perceived as fairly common.

The Wall Street Journal reported last year that the US government stopped supplying Jordanian authorities with bomb-detecting dogs after two dogs died in Jordanian custody.

One dog died from poisoning by insecticide and another from a heat stroke. The ban also covered Egypt, where US officials observed similar neglect and maltreatment of the highly trained dogs.

Haircare resolutions 2021

From Beirut and Amman to London and now Dubai, hairstylist George Massoud has seen the same mistakes made by customers all over the world. In the chair or at-home hair care, here are the resolutions he wishes his customers would make for the year ahead.

1. 'I will seek consultation from professionals'

You may know what you want, but are you sure it’s going to suit you? Haircare professionals can tell you what will work best with your skin tone, hair texture and lifestyle.

2. 'I will tell my hairdresser when I’m not happy'

Massoud says it’s better to offer constructive criticism to work on in the future. Your hairdresser will learn, and you may discover how to communicate exactly what you want more effectively the next time.

3. ‘I will treat my hair better out of the chair’

Damage control is a big part of most hairstylists’ work right now, but it can be avoided. Steer clear of over-colouring at home, try and pursue one hair brand at a time and never, ever use a straightener on still drying hair, pleads Massoud.

2025 Fifa Club World Cup groups

Group A: Palmeiras, Porto, Al Ahly, Inter Miami.

Group B: Paris Saint-Germain, Atletico Madrid, Botafogo, Seattle.

Group C: Bayern Munich, Auckland City, Boca Juniors, Benfica.

Group D: Flamengo, ES Tunis, Chelsea, Leon.

Group E: River Plate, Urawa, Monterrey, Inter Milan.

Group F: Fluminense, Borussia Dortmund, Ulsan, Mamelodi Sundowns.

Group G: Manchester City, Wydad, Al Ain, Juventus.

Group H: Real Madrid, Al Hilal, Pachuca, Salzburg.

Key facilities
  • Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
  • Premier League-standard football pitch
  • 400m Olympic running track
  • NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
  • 600-seat auditorium
  • Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
  • An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
  • Specialist robotics and science laboratories
  • AR and VR-enabled learning centres
  • Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
How to wear a kandura

Dos

  • Wear the right fabric for the right season and occasion 
  • Always ask for the dress code if you don’t know
  • Wear a white kandura, white ghutra / shemagh (headwear) and black shoes for work 
  • Wear 100 per cent cotton under the kandura as most fabrics are polyester

Don’ts 

  • Wear hamdania for work, always wear a ghutra and agal 
  • Buy a kandura only based on how it feels; ask questions about the fabric and understand what you are buying
if you go

The flights

Etihad and Emirates fly direct from the UAE to Seoul from Dh3,775 return, including taxes

The package

Ski Safari offers a seven-night ski package to Korea, including five nights at the Dragon Valley Hotel in Yongpyong and two nights at Seoul CenterMark hotel, from £720 (Dh3,488) per person, including transfers, based on two travelling in January

The info

Visit www.gokorea.co.uk

Mia Man’s tips for fermentation

- Start with a simple recipe such as yogurt or sauerkraut

- Keep your hands and kitchen tools clean. Sanitize knives, cutting boards, tongs and storage jars with boiling water before you start.

- Mold is bad: the colour pink is a sign of mold. If yogurt turns pink as it ferments, you need to discard it and start again. For kraut, if you remove the top leaves and see any sign of mold, you should discard the batch.

- Always use clean, closed, airtight lids and containers such as mason jars when fermenting yogurt and kraut. Keep the lid closed to prevent insects and contaminants from getting in.

 

The specs: 2018 Opel Mokka X

Price, as tested: Dh84,000

Engine: 1.4L, four-cylinder turbo

Transmission: Six-speed auto

Power: 142hp at 4,900rpm

Torque: 200Nm at 1,850rpm

Fuel economy, combined: 6.5L / 100km

Sri Lanka squad

Dinesh Chandimal, Dimuth Karunaratne, Kaushal Silva, Kusal Mendis, Angelo Mathews, Lahiru Thirimanne, Niroshan Dickwella, Sadeera Samarawickrama, Rangana Herath, Suranga Lakmal, Nuwan Pradeep, Lakshan Sandakan, Vishwa Fernando, Lahiru Kumara, Jeffrey Vandersay, Milinda Siriwardana, Roshen Silva, Akila Dananjaya, Charith Asalanka, Shaminda Eranga and Dhammika Prasad.

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While you're here
THE SCORES

Ireland 125 all out

(20 overs; Stirling 72, Mustafa 4-18)

UAE 125 for 5

(17 overs, Mustafa 39, D’Silva 29, Usman 29)

UAE won by five wickets

'The Ice Road'

Director: Jonathan Hensleigh
Stars: Liam Neeson, Amber Midthunder, Laurence Fishburne

2/5

Race card

1.45pm: Maiden Dh75,000 1,200m.

2.15pm: Maiden Dh75,000 1,200m.

2.45pm: Handicap Dh95,000 1,200m.

3.15pm: Handicap Dh120,000 1,400m.

3.45pm: Handicap Dh80,000 1,400m.

4.15pm: Handicap Dh90,000 1,800m.

4.45pm: Handicap Dh80,000 1,950m.

The National selections:

1.45pm: Galaxy Road – So Hi Speed

2.15pm: Majestic Thunder – Daltrey

2.45pm: Call To War – Taamol

3.15pm: Eqtiraan - Bochart

3.45pm: Kidd Malibu – Initial

4.15pm: Arroway – Arch Gold

4.35pm: Compliance - Muqaatil

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Election pledges on migration

CDU: "Now is the time to control the German borders and enforce strict border rejections" 

SPD: "Border closures and blanket rejections at internal borders contradict the spirit of a common area of freedom" 

MATCH INFO

Barcelona 2
Suarez (10'), Messi (52')

Real Madrid 2
Ronaldo (14'), Bale (72')

Farasan Boat: 128km Away from Anchorage

Director: Mowaffaq Alobaid 

Stars: Abdulaziz Almadhi, Mohammed Al Akkasi, Ali Al Suhaibani

Rating: 4/5

Where to donate in the UAE

The Emirates Charity Portal

You can donate to several registered charities through a “donation catalogue”. The use of the donation is quite specific, such as buying a fan for a poor family in Niger for Dh130.

The General Authority of Islamic Affairs & Endowments

The site has an e-donation service accepting debit card, credit card or e-Dirham, an electronic payment tool developed by the Ministry of Finance and First Abu Dhabi Bank.

Al Noor Special Needs Centre

You can donate online or order Smiles n’ Stuff products handcrafted by Al Noor students. The centre publishes a wish list of extras needed, starting at Dh500.

Beit Al Khair Society

Beit Al Khair Society has the motto “From – and to – the UAE,” with donations going towards the neediest in the country. Its website has a list of physical donation sites, but people can also contribute money by SMS, bank transfer and through the hotline 800-22554.

Dar Al Ber Society

Dar Al Ber Society, which has charity projects in 39 countries, accept cash payments, money transfers or SMS donations. Its donation hotline is 800-79.

Dubai Cares

Dubai Cares provides several options for individuals and companies to donate, including online, through banks, at retail outlets, via phone and by purchasing Dubai Cares branded merchandise. It is currently running a campaign called Bookings 2030, which allows people to help change the future of six underprivileged children and young people.

Emirates Airline Foundation

Those who travel on Emirates have undoubtedly seen the little donation envelopes in the seat pockets. But the foundation also accepts donations online and in the form of Skywards Miles. Donated miles are used to sponsor travel for doctors, surgeons, engineers and other professionals volunteering on humanitarian missions around the world.

Emirates Red Crescent

On the Emirates Red Crescent website you can choose between 35 different purposes for your donation, such as providing food for fasters, supporting debtors and contributing to a refugee women fund. It also has a list of bank accounts for each donation type.

Gulf for Good

Gulf for Good raises funds for partner charity projects through challenges, like climbing Kilimanjaro and cycling through Thailand. This year’s projects are in partnership with Street Child Nepal, Larchfield Kids, the Foundation for African Empowerment and SOS Children's Villages. Since 2001, the organisation has raised more than $3.5 million (Dh12.8m) in support of over 50 children’s charities.

Noor Dubai Foundation

Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum launched the Noor Dubai Foundation a decade ago with the aim of eliminating all forms of preventable blindness globally. You can donate Dh50 to support mobile eye camps by texting the word “Noor” to 4565 (Etisalat) or 4849 (du).

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets