Dubai Police task force sets out to tackle dangerous animals trade

A new police task force in Dubai has been set up to tackle the ownership of wild and dangerous animals.

Dubai Police are responding after a string of complaints and several breaches of the law in just a few weeks.

These include an attempt to sell a wolf illegally, which was foiled by police.

Police are calling on the public to report people who own dangerous animals so they can be handed over to the authorities.

“The joint work team has responded to many cases ... during the past weeks after receiving several complaints from the public," police said.

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The force said its Environmental Crimes Division and Dubai Police's Criminal Investigation Unit were working with Dubai Municipality to enforce Federal Law No. 22 of 2016.

This prohibits people from owning, possessing, trading or breeding dangerous animals.

Animals covered under the law include big cats, snakes, ostriches, scorpions, primates, lizards, seagulls, spiders and some breeds of dogs.

Outlawed dog breeds include Presa Canarios, pit bulls, boxers, Rottweilers, Tosa, Dobermans and Mastiffs.

Those who break the rules face jail terms up to six months and/or fines up to Dh500,000 ($136,000).

Meanwhile, the unit's foiling of man's attempt to sell a wolf has underlined the importance of its work.

It was established late last year and is increasing its operations. Dubai Municipality is to arrange shelter for the wolf.

UAE takes action against animal traffickers - in pictures

The private ownership of wild and exotic animals – including big cats like this cheetah – is illegal in Dubai. Andrew Henderson / The National

Cheetahs rescued from private owners and moved to the Wildlife Centre refuge, near Mussaffah. Lee Hoagland / The National

Authorities in the UAE confiscated this lioness from a residential home. Photo: WAM

Cheetah and tiger cubs are highly sought after by collectors despite global and local efforts to tackle the trade. Sammy Dallal / The National

Conflict, drought, famine

Estimates of the number of deaths caused by the famine range from 400,000 to 1 million, according to a document prepared for the UK House of Lords in 2024.
It has been claimed that the policies of the Ethiopian government, which took control after deposing Emperor Haile Selassie in a military-led revolution in 1974, contributed to the scale of the famine.
Dr Miriam Bradley, senior lecturer in humanitarian studies at the University of Manchester, has argued that, by the early 1980s, “several government policies combined to cause, rather than prevent, a famine which lasted from 1983 to 1985. Mengistu’s government imposed Stalinist-model agricultural policies involving forced collectivisation and villagisation [relocation of communities into planned villages].
The West became aware of the catastrophe through a series of BBC News reports by journalist Michael Buerk in October 1984 describing a “biblical famine” and containing graphic images of thousands of people, including children, facing starvation.

Band Aid

Bob Geldof, singer with the Irish rock group The Boomtown Rats, formed Band Aid in response to the horrific images shown in the news broadcasts.
With Midge Ure of the band Ultravox, he wrote the hit charity single Do They Know it’s Christmas in December 1984, featuring a string of high-profile musicians.
Following the single’s success, the idea to stage a rock concert evolved.
Live Aid was a series of simultaneous concerts that took place at Wembley Stadium in London, John F Kennedy Stadium in Philadelphia, the US, and at various other venues across the world.
The combined event was broadcast to an estimated worldwide audience of 1.5 billion.