The Wildlife Conservation Center is located in the mountains of Hajjar, near the Sharjah-Kalb Road on the east coast of the Emirate of Sharjah. Created by His Highness Dr. Shaykh Sultan Bin Mohammed Al-Qasimi, a member of the Supreme Council and the ruler of Sharjah, the Al-Hefaya Mountain Protection Center, was established to protect endangered species of animals belonging to the fragile mountain ecosystems of the region.
The new environmental project is led by the EPAA and strengthens Sharjah's commitment to the protection of endangered species in the International Union for Conservation of Nature's (IUCN) Red List. The Emirate is a long-standing sponsor of wildlife breeding programs and about twenty years ago founded the BCEAW near the city of Sharjah. More than 30 species of animals are located in the Al-Hefaya Mountain Conservation Center.
The new nature conservation center now houses an Arab leopard, which is endangered. After you can see that the big cat is considered extinct in the UAE throughout the Hajar range, less than 200 wild leopards remained on the Arabian Peninsula as a whole.
The Al-Hefaya mountain range guard center will focus on the conservation and restoration of habitats, education, rehabilitation, breeding and research in captivity. Other species endangered in the center are the Arabian wolf and Arab tahr; and the striped hyena.
Wide varieties of other species of the Arabian animal world are located in open areas. Among them are caracal or desert lynx, as well as snakes, lizards, hedgehogs, various species of fish and scorpions. The center also has a special exposition of wildlife, which is created to demonstrate the night activities of desert creatures.
Currently, the Al-Hefaiyah Mountain Conservation Center is open to the public on weekdays, except Monday, from 9 am to 6:30 pm. The cost of tickets is 25 AED for adults, and for children under 12 years old admission is free.
