Arcadia

There's plenty of videos on youtube of young Arab lads with a lion in a majlis. A child I used to private tutor had two pet cheetahs, and a past rulers palace had around eight stuffed tigers and lions on display.

Kim67

When we lived in Dubai we were behind a car in the school drop off line that contained a live tiger in the back, it's a great story that we've retold many times - gotta love Dubai locals.

kittycat1

I find it extraordinary that the cost of one of these animals is up to 50k aed yet the fine for keeping one is only 10kaed - with possibly a prison sentence but tell me the last time an emarati did time for this? I wish there was some way you could get through to the mentality of these people- these animals will be wiped off the face of the earth because they want to keep them as pets- and not even because they love the animals- it's as a sign of status- it is truly shameful -it is not a sign of wealth it is a sign of ignorance and arrogance. Maybe for a change it would be nice if they funded some of the reserves to help stop these animals being hunted and the cubs being stolen to be mistreated and kept in captivity and show some respect to these beautiful creatures.

I was happy to hear this week that prince William is planning on destroying all the ivory owned by the royal family to show his disapproval on the ivory trade- shame all the animals are dead already and rhinos practically extinct. Shame the Chinese are still such big traders in it though- it is truly saddening to think these creatures are being bought to extinction because if the greed of human kind. So so sad.

Boomhauer

Sometimes ya just got to accept that some people just don't care. Look at Japan with their whale and dolphin slaughter and rich Chinese with their obession for certain wild animal body parts. A small number of Emiratis might change but I do not believe the majority will.

Hong Kong authorities did destroy some ceased Ivory recently but that's is too little as far as protecting species go.

kittycat1

I agree to a certain extent boom but it's also about education- according to www.ifaw.org in china 80percent of people didn't realise elephants are killed for their tusks, they assumed they were shed like baby teeth. They are also unaware that tigers will be extinct in 20 years from the wild. The same here I am sure some locals are unaware of the barbaric way exotic animals are taken from the wild and how many die whilst being transported illegally due to the inhumane conditions to bring them the one animal they have ordered. I am also sure many don't care about that- but I can't believe that within the next 50-100 years that some of these animals will go into extinction from the wild because of this kind of trade- it is just not acceptable. The UAE government has a global responsibility to stop this trade- we can't lose these animals from the wild because someone wants to keep a pet tiger, it really is just not acceptable in this day and age. Complacency is no excuse, I agree you will always have a percentage that won't listen and there will always be a market for this, but if everyone had that attitude nothing would ever change, you have to stand up to be counted and say no. If you want your kids or grand kids to be able to see these animals in the wild then it has to be stopped now before it really is too late.

shiva

So many inconsistencies

The UAE government is a signatory of the cites convention

Most of the powers that be own exotic pets

The law is ridiculous and never enforced

The govt is buying up huge chunks of Africa, kicking off the local inhabitants and planning on coverting the land to heavily industrialized agricultural land whilst destroying the natural ecosystem

The powers that be have and continue to buy vast tracts of land to use as hunting ranches, again kicking off the local inhabitants ( look up the plight if the hadza, one of mankinds most ancient peoples) and utterly destroying the ecosystem.

This isn't down purely to ignorance, it's largely down to the attitude of "it's not our home so who gives a ****"

Too much money, too much power and a total lack of any sense of consequence or consideration to or for others.

The other option of course would be to use that money, probably less in fact, to run the biggest conservation and breeding program in history giving all these species a chance and probably plenty to hunt into the bargain.
But that would just make far too much sense for this region

mikewot

Now the gubmint are aware but will there be a fine or just a reminder that you should professional moving company?

http://7daysindubai.com/video-lion-c...sport-animals/

nonthaburi

Hope the scroungers don't have this much.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fPWZAiUDuIE

nonthaburi

Or the liberal Danes with this nice little slaughter:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pWR-bCXBJ0s

skip to 4:30 if you can't be bothered with the preamble.

Boomhauer

Norwegians also slaughter some minke whales. It's just shocking that the Scandinavian countries do that, cause they have a reputation for being very progressive and tolerant.

In Spain with their barbaric Toro Jubilo, where a wooden frame is strapped to the horns and combustible material is attached to the frame and set on fire.

NOTE: Graphic Pictures
https://www.google.com/search?q=toro...w=1280&bih=814

And then we have the barbaric sport of fox hunting.

OleJanx

I love the comment in this "People should use common sense." In Dubai? Really? Grow up man, and open your eyes, you're in for a big suprise....