Life is looking up for two former dancing bears rescued from a zoo in Pakistan after moving into their new homes in northern Jordan.
The brown Himalayan bears, Suzie and Bubloo, took up residence around 10 days ago at Al Mawa Wildlife Reserve, in a lightly forested area near the Roman city of Jerash.
“It was the first time they touched a tree,” said Saif Rwashdeh, chief caretaker at the sanctuary. “They were very sad, and very nervous.”
It took the intervention of the singer Cher and an animal-loving member of Jordan’s royal family to bring the two bears to the sanctuary. Their plight came to light as Cher managed to free an elephant kept at the same zoo in Islamabad and send him to a sanctuary in Cambodia.
Kaavan, 36, gained international fame as “the world’s loneliest elephant” after his mate died in 2012.
The bears grew less shy within days of arriving at the park and are eating well and no longer afraid to explore their new habitat, Mr Rwashdeh said as he watched them from behind a fence.
“They need more time but they will be great. They lived a very bad life in the zoo.”
Bears without teeth
Suzie and Bubloo arrived in Jordan looking shell-shocked as their cages were offloaded from a passenger plane into the cargo terminal of Amman airport.
They spent four months in quarantine on the outskirts of the capital as space was prepared for each of them in Jerash, among oak and pine trees 1,000 metres above sea level.
Each bear has about a hectare to roam in, a swimming pool and a dark room to escape the sun – with summer on its way, daytime temperatures are already above 30°C.
Without teeth, they are being fed mostly bananas, strawberries, watermelons, oranges and apples, and vegetables.
Both are approaching 20, considered about 60 to 70 per cent of the normal life expectancy for bears.
But abuse has marked their lives and both arrived in Jordan with psychological problems.
They lost their teeth grinding inedible objects, a result of stress and having been poorly fed in their cages in Pakistan. They were also probably beaten during their time as dancing bears, Mr Rwashdeh said.
Suzie, who is more golden brown that Bubloo, has lung and skin tumours but could still live for years, he added.
“Suzie has so many problems,” he said. “So far she is good. She eats. She is active and she moves around. This means she does not feel pain.”
Royal reprieve
The Al Mawa sanctuary’s very first resident was a Syrian brown bear called Balou.
Born in 2002, Balou was kept at a Jordanian private zoo where he was beaten regularly, before being rescued by Princess Alia, elder half-sister of Jordan’s King Abdullah, and taken into the royal stables near Amman.
Princess Alia set up the Al Mawa sanctuary in 2012 with the help of Four Paws, the international animal welfare group based in Vienna that was involved in the rescue of Kaavan, Suzie and Bubloo.
Unlike Bubloo, Balou lives with a partner – Lula, a younger bear rescued from a zoo in Mosul in 2018. The first anniversary of their relationship was last week, but they will not have cubs, Mr Rwashdeh said.
All male animals in the sanctuary are castrated or vasectomised.
A falling out
Suzie and Bubloo were also once a couple. They lived together for years and had a cub before Bubloo started hitting Suzie and they had to be separated.
Mr Rwashdeh said no one knows what happened to the cub, but it probably died.
“Good boy Bubloo,” he called as he threw pieces of fruit over the fence, but far from Bubloo to encourage the bear to move and use his sense of smell weakened by being caged.
Bubloo found them and used his paws to peel off the skin.
“He is very friendly. I love him,” Mr Rwashdeh said. Bubloo is more active than Suzie and his gait is more self-assured.
“She is still shy and not active like Bubloo,” he said. “She needs time to feel at peace”
Possible reconciliation
Mr Rwashdeh said it was not entirely Bubloo’s fault that he attacked Suzie. Their cub had probably been kept with them for too long in a very confined space, making Bubloo nervous.
But Suzie is gutsy, he said. “Sometimes she likes to fight with her neighbours” – Aus, Shugaa and Hadi, three male brown Syrian bears living together in the next enclosure.
The sanctuary has more than 20 animals, comprising lions, tigers, bears and hyena, and spaces are being prepared to receive more in the next few months.
Most of the residents were rescued from Jordan and surrounding countries. Mr Rwashdeh’s favourites, two Bengal tigers, Tash and Sky, were confiscated in 2013 as they were being smuggled across the Jordan-Saudi border.
Sanctuary manager Mustafa Khraisat did not rule out attempts to reconcile Suzie and Bubloo in the future.
But they would need to “settle down completely” in their separate spaces, and Suzie’s health situation needs to remain stable.
“We plan to do some socialising and integration for both of them, if they would like that to happen,” he said.
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
The White Lotus: Season three
Creator: Mike White
Starring: Walton Goggins, Jason Isaacs, Natasha Rothwell
Rating: 4.5/5
KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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Dhadak 2
Director: Shazia Iqbal
Starring: Siddhant Chaturvedi, Triptii Dimri
Rating: 1/5
Safety 'top priority' for rival hyperloop company
The chief operating officer of Hyperloop Transportation Technologies, Andres de Leon, said his company's hyperloop technology is “ready” and safe.
He said the company prioritised safety throughout its development and, last year, Munich Re, one of the world's largest reinsurance companies, announced it was ready to insure their technology.
“Our levitation, propulsion, and vacuum technology have all been developed [...] over several decades and have been deployed and tested at full scale,” he said in a statement to The National.
“Only once the system has been certified and approved will it move people,” he said.
HyperloopTT has begun designing and engineering processes for its Abu Dhabi projects and hopes to break ground soon.
With no delivery date yet announced, Mr de Leon said timelines had to be considered carefully, as government approval, permits, and regulations could create necessary delays.
HIV on the rise in the region
A 2019 United Nations special analysis on Aids reveals 37 per cent of new HIV infections in the Mena region are from people injecting drugs.
New HIV infections have also risen by 29 per cent in western Europe and Asia, and by 7 per cent in Latin America, but declined elsewhere.
Egypt has shown the highest increase in recorded cases of HIV since 2010, up by 196 per cent.
Access to HIV testing, treatment and care in the region is well below the global average.
Few statistics have been published on the number of cases in the UAE, although a UNAIDS report said 1.5 per cent of the prison population has the virus.
Book%20Details
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Cultural fiesta
What: The Al Burda Festival
When: November 14 (from 10am)
Where: Warehouse421, Abu Dhabi
The Al Burda Festival is a celebration of Islamic art and culture, featuring talks, performances and exhibitions. Organised by the Ministry of Culture and Knowledge Development, this one-day event opens with a session on the future of Islamic art. With this in mind, it is followed by a number of workshops and “masterclass” sessions in everything from calligraphy and typography to geometry and the origins of Islamic design. There will also be discussions on subjects including ‘Who is the Audience for Islamic Art?’ and ‘New Markets for Islamic Design.’ A live performance from Kuwaiti guitarist Yousif Yaseen should be one of the highlights of the day.
Premier Futsal 2017 Finals
Al Wasl Football Club; six teams, five-a-side
Delhi Dragons: Ronaldinho
Bengaluru Royals: Paul Scholes
Mumbai Warriors: Ryan Giggs
Chennai Ginghams: Hernan Crespo
Telugu Tigers: Deco
Kerala Cobras: Michel Salgado
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
The National Archives, Abu Dhabi
Founded over 50 years ago, the National Archives collects valuable historical material relating to the UAE, and is the oldest and richest archive relating to the Arabian Gulf.
Much of the material can be viewed on line at the Arabian Gulf Digital Archive - https://www.agda.ae/en
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Company%20Profile
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More from Neighbourhood Watch
How to apply for a drone permit
- Individuals must register on UAE Drone app or website using their UAE Pass
- Add all their personal details, including name, nationality, passport number, Emiratis ID, email and phone number
- Upload the training certificate from a centre accredited by the GCAA
- Submit their request
What are the regulations?
- Fly it within visual line of sight
- Never over populated areas
- Ensure maximum flying height of 400 feet (122 metres) above ground level is not crossed
- Users must avoid flying over restricted areas listed on the UAE Drone app
- Only fly the drone during the day, and never at night
- Should have a live feed of the drone flight
- Drones must weigh 5 kg or less
What the law says
Micro-retirement is not a recognised concept or employment status under Federal Decree Law No. 33 of 2021 on the Regulation of Labour Relations (as amended) (UAE Labour Law). As such, it reflects a voluntary work-life balance practice, rather than a recognised legal employment category, according to Dilini Loku, senior associate for law firm Gateley Middle East.
“Some companies may offer formal sabbatical policies or career break programmes; however, beyond such arrangements, there is no automatic right or statutory entitlement to extended breaks,” she explains.
“Any leave taken beyond statutory entitlements, such as annual leave, is typically regarded as unpaid leave in accordance with Article 33 of the UAE Labour Law. While employees may legally take unpaid leave, such requests are subject to the employer’s discretion and require approval.”
If an employee resigns to pursue micro-retirement, the employment contract is terminated, and the employer is under no legal obligation to rehire the employee in the future unless specific contractual agreements are in place (such as return-to-work arrangements), which are generally uncommon, Ms Loku adds.
More from Janine di Giovanni
THE BIO: Mohammed Ashiq Ali
Proudest achievement: “I came to a new country and started this shop”
Favourite TV programme: the news
Favourite place in Dubai: Al Fahidi. “They started the metro in 2009 and I didn’t take it yet.”
Family: six sons in Dubai and a daughter in Faisalabad
PROFILE OF INVYGO
Started: 2018
Founders: Eslam Hussein and Pulkit Ganjoo
Based: Dubai
Sector: Transport
Size: 9 employees
Investment: $1,275,000
Investors: Class 5 Global, Equitrust, Gulf Islamic Investments, Kairos K50 and William Zeqiri
Results
- Brock Lesnar retained the WWE Universal title against Roman Reigns
- Braun Strowman and Nicolas won the Raw Tag Team titles against Sheamus and Cesaro
- AJ Styles retained the WWE World Heavyweight title against Shinsuke Nakamura
- Nia Jax won the Raw Women’s title against Alexa Bliss
- Daniel Bryan and Shane McMahon beat Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn
- The Undertaker beat John Cena
- The Bludgeon Brothers won the SmackDown Tag Team titles against the Usos and New Day
- Ronda Rousey and Kurt Angle beat Triple H and Stephanie McMahon
- Jinder Mahal won the United States title against Randy Orton, Rusev and Bobby Roode
- Charlotte retained the SmackDown Women’s title against Asuka
- Seth Rollins won the Intercontinental title against The Miz and Finn Balor
- Naomi won the first WrestleMania Women’s Battle Royal
- Cedric Alexander won the vacant Cruiserweight title against Mustafa Ali
- Matt Hardy won the Andre the Giant Battle Royal
2.0
Director: S Shankar
Producer: Lyca Productions; presented by Dharma Films
Cast: Rajnikanth, Akshay Kumar, Amy Jackson, Sudhanshu Pandey
Rating: 3.5/5 stars
THE SPECS
Engine: 3.6-litre V6
Transmission: eight-speed automatic
Power: 285bhp
Torque: 353Nm
Price: TBA
On sale: Q2, 2020
