HOSPITAL WHERE PATIENTS EAT MICE
Baku, June 10 (AZERTAC). There`s a state-of-the-art hospital in Abu Dhabi where pampered patients stay in air-conditioned rooms and are fed a daily diet of quail -- and occasionally, mice, according to CNN.
The Abu Dhabi Falcon Hospital claims to be the largest of its kind in the world, employing 52 people and treating around 5,000 birds each year.
The scale of the operation is testament to the popularity of falconry in the UAE. More than a sport or a hobby, it`s an integral part of the region`s cultural heritage.
Hospital director Margrit Muller told CNN: "Falconry is not regarded as a sport in the UAE, as it is in the United States and Europe.
"In the Middle East falconry has a different background. Even 70 years ago in the UAE most of the population were Bedouin living in the desert.
"It was hard to survive, so they used wild falcons to hunt meat. It wasn`t a sport, it was a necessity for survival.
"So falcons were integrated into the Bedouin family like a child and even today, falcons have exactly the same position in the family. They`re not regarded as a sports tool -- they are like a son or daughter."
Muller said the hospital now treats all bird species and cares for falcons from all over the region, including Qatar, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and Bahrain. She said the owners are ordinary people who want the best for their birds.
The hospital has an array of high-tech equipment for treating sick birds, including an endoscopy unit that transmits live digital images to the waiting room, so the bird`s owner can monitor the procedure.
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