Category: Animals & Wildlife

Snail Trail is a small home business based in Kuwait that breeds snails and finds them homes. I didn’t really think having a snail as a pet was a thing but after checking out their account I’m tempted to get one for myself. Snail Trail sells different kinds of snails as well as everything you need to set up your own snail terrarium.

They sell snails starting at 2KD but can be as cheap as 1KD depending on how many snails you get. They also sell a terrarium set with everything you need including soil, moss, twigs + pines, healing stones, shells, and cuttlebone all for KD10. Or you could buy the items individually all from them as well.

It’s a pretty cute idea and snails seem easy to care for so if you’re interested to find out more check out their account @snailtrailkw

I don’t get impressed easily but you should have seen the look on my face when I walked into Aquamarine Exotic Farm. I had seen pictures of the place on Instagram which is why I was curious to check it out but Instagram doesn’t really do justice to how big and cool looking this place is.

Aquamarine Exotic Farm is a one-stop-shop for everything related to aquarium fish, their supplies and equipment. Think Pet Zone but just for fish. The place is huge and really well organized and laid out. Even if you aren’t planning to buy any aquariums you’ll want to pass by and check the space out because it’s that cool. The store has two main areas, one for saltwater fish and another for freshwater fish. In the middle of the store is where you have all their supplies and equipment.

They have a huge variety of fish on display and even a very large coral area. They also have two marine biologists as part of the team which you could ask technical questions to and who can help you keep your aquarium healthy. I really wasn’t looking to get any fish but just walking around the store made it very tempting especially since they had some really beautiful ones on display. They also offer the service of building a custom aquarium for you if that’s what you’re looking for.

If you’re thinking of getting an aquarium or have one and need some supplies or maybe more fish then this is the place to go. Even if you aren’t looking to get an aquarium I’d still recommend you pass by and check the place out because it’s that impressive. They’re located near Avenues and they have their location and opening hours listed on their Instagram account @aquamarineexotic

Found this photo on a twitter account with the caption “First elephant in Kuwait for the zoo – Kuwait 1952”. I’m not sure which zoo though since the current one opened up in 1968, so could be some other zoo that was open back then (did Ahmadi have a zoo?) or maybe it was part of a traveling circus? Still cute though.

via Bader AlRoudan

Update: Supposedly there was a zoo called the Salwa Garden, and it was the first zoo in Kuwait and the GCC. Trying to get more info on this now.

Update2: Check out the snippet below

Not many visitors to the Zoo at Omariya know that Kuwait was the first country in the Gulf where a zoo was established، in 1955. And even less people will remember that it was Shaikh Jabir Al Abdullah Al Jabir Al Sabah who set up the region’s first zoo known as Salwa garden، after which the place Salwa was so named subsequently. He purchased animals، with his own money and eventually transferred his collection in 1965 to form the nucleus of Umariya Zoo.

The long and moving story has been told in the book titled “Salwa Garden: the first zoo in Kuwait and the Arabian Gulf” written and published by his daughter Shaikha Mona Jabir Al Abdullah Al Jabir Al Sabah، Assistant Undersecretary of Al Diwan Al Amiri and author of several research-oriented books on Kuwait and the Gulf. Source

Update3: How am I just finding out about this? The picture below is of the entrance to the zoo and you can see a couple of more photos here.

If you have a pet and are looking for something fun to do today and tomorrow, The Pet Lobby have an event taking place from 6PM to 10PM. For more info click here.

Last week I posted about a pet cat called Winston that got lost and later died at the airport after it was taken from its owner to be sent to the cargo terminal.

The cat owner has now set up a gofundme page to pay for her legal fees in suing NAS, the company that the airport uses to transport the pets from the main terminal to the cargo terminal and the ones who lost her cat. She also wants to try and change the procedures for arriving pets at the airport. From some of the comments I’ve read by other people who’ve traveled with their pets, the procedure at the Kuwait airport is inconsistent and in most cases unnecessary.

If you want to support her fight then here is the link to her gofundme.

Over the weekend a video started making its round via social media of a bullfight that took place in Kuwait back in 1972. The video was fairly low quality and the audio was completely broken so I did a bit of research and turns out the original video is actually owned by Reuters and you can watch the longer and much better version on their website.

According to Reuters, the bulls were imported from Spain for this event which was the first ever bullfighting show in Kuwait. The video is from the show that took place on Thursday April 6, 1972 but there were two other shows that took place on Friday 7th and Saturday 8th of April. Below are some more details:

A Spanish bull faced Spanish matadors in Kuwait on Thursday. It was the first time the Arabian Gulf state has seen a bull-fight. The event was organized by the Salmiya Sports Club and sponsored by the Kuwaiti Minister of the Interior and Defence, Shaikh Sa’ad Al-Abdalla As-Sabah.

A large crowd of spectators packed into the arena to see the novel exhibition of bullfighting skills and physical courage. Among those watching were the Speaker of the Kuwaiti National Assembly and other Assembly members. The event was much enjoyed by the spectators.

Aficionados in Spain may know more about the technicalities, but in Kuwait the crowd understood well enough the perfect judgment needed to plant these darts in just the right place.

The show had opened with the playing of the Kuwaiti and Spanish national anthems and the grand entrance of all the bullfighters. There was no doubting the success of this first bullfighting spectacle in Kuwait. Other shows were scheduled for Friday and Saturday.

So if you want to watch the video, click here.

My brother sent me this yesterday and it’s such a sad story. Laila who is a cat owner came back to Kuwait from the States with her cat and at the airport was told the cat would need to be seen by the airport vet. So they took the cat from her and three hours later tell her that the cat ran away when they were on the way to see the vet and the couldn’t find it. You can check out her instagram post on this below:

Im fucking crying my ass off while i type this. Winston is missing. When we arrived Kuwait the officer stopped us at the airport and told us we needed to get a paper signed to get winston in kuwait (even though i showed him all the correct paperwork specifying winston is healthy and up to date in all his shots, ect). Since they are too lazy to accept the documents they made me sign a paper. As i picked up winston’s bag they stopped me and told me that he needs to go see a doctor at the airport to make sure hes not carrying any diseases and apparently thats what happens to all animals that arrive the country. I fought with them and begged them not to take him but the officers said those were the rules.

I waited for 3 hours and in the end they told me that he fucking ran away in the cargo on the way to the doctor. He ran away out in the open where all the planes and trucks are. Ive been crying screaming and hysterical ever since and im not authorized to go search for him. We begged the guards to let us in and we were able to scout the area but i wasnt allowed to leave the car. It’s currently 95 degrees and will continue to get hotter to 114 degrees . I am so devastated and destroyed. I dont know what else to say. I am charging my phone and will be back at the airport in a few hours. If you are in kuwait and can help please let me know. .

They wont even let me SEARCH FOR MY OWN CAT please if anyone has authority and can help please let me know this cat is my entire life please help me

I think the worst part for me is the fact it took them three hours to tell her they lost her cat and then wouldn’t let her in to help them look for him. I understand there are security procedures since it’s an airport but there must be ways around that like by having airport security accompany her. Pets generally will panic in an environment like an airport and there would be a much higher chance of finding the cat if the owner was involved in the search. Cats especially aren’t like dogs and won’t just come to a stranger when been called for.

Laila is constantly posting updates on her pets Instagram account so if you want to know more about what’s happening, check @leya_and_winston

Update: Sadly, the cat was found dead at the airport earlier today. The National Aviation Services (NAS) who were responsible for transporting the cat to the vet posted the following statement on their instagram account:

We regret the unfortunate turn of events with Winston.

We extend our deepest condolences to Ms. Laila and her family during this difficult time.

We are very sorry for their loss.

We are conducting an in-depth internal investigation into the matter.

People will be held accountable.

We will also be putting in place more stringent procedures under “FOSTER” rules to ensure this does not happen again.

To ensure higher safety standards for each animal in our care, we are creating a $100,000 fund – “Foster” towards improvement of animal care facilities at the airport.

We carefully handled over 700 household pets last year without incident. We understand that each animal is unique and precious.

A few years ago I posted about the Scientific Center expansion plans and one of the most controversial aspects of it was the fact the plans included a new dolphinarium. As you know, holding dolphins in captivity is pretty cruel and a friend of mine even posted an appeal in hopes of stopping it.

Recently construction started next to Scientific Center and I was curious to know if the dolphinarium was still being built. So I got in touch with my contact at the Scientific Center who not only reassured me that they are not going ahead with the dolphinarium, but he also shared with me some new information on the expansion as well as the visuals I’ve shared in this post.

The Scientific Center have now started construction work on the new expansion, with the first phase focused on marine works and land reclamation. This includes renovation of the Dhow Harbor area and the relocation of the seawater intake pipe which provides clean seawater to the tanks within the aquarium. The construction you see now on the side of the Scientific Center (pictured above) is for the marine works which is estimated to take around 9 months. This will be followed by the groundbreaking, structural foundation of the expansion, the construction of the superstructure, MEP, the finishing and new exhibits installations, and then finally the renovation of the existing building attractions and exhibits.

The design and programming of the expansion building was developed as a priority, in partnership with the center’s Board and consultation from the Kuwait Foundation for the Advancement of Sciences (KFAS). The expansion commits the center to playing a leading role on a national level to transform the country and help develop a knowledge-driven economy. Because of this commitment, the programming and exhibits within the expansion aim to increase the quality of STEM teaching from the center, as well as the importance of environmental protection, through engaging learning experiences.

The expansion will introduce new concepts to the region, as well as inspiring exhibits, through both new additions and the renovation of current ones. The public can expect to see reinvigorated ecosystems in the Mijbil Almutawa Aquarium, modern commodities and services, a brand new children’s science museum, as well as numerous new halls and labs enabling visitors, schools, universities and more to engage with the center in developing their own innovations to better Kuwait.

Here are some other facts you might find interesting:

– The renovation of the aquarium is being done in partnership with the creative
design and consultancy firm ROTO, who you can learn about [Here]

– The overall expansion is estimated to come at an approximate value of KD 36 million, with a timeline of projected completion by 2022

– Many people aren’t aware that the Scientific Center is a non-profit

– The center is aiming to introduce class-specific programs, labs, and workshops for educators to use for their own curriculum

– The footprint of the center is doubling

So to summarize, there will be no dolphinarium and the Scientific Center will be increasing their exhibits and attractions and refurbishing the current building. All of that is expected to be completed in around 3-4 years.

Luna & Beau is the hottest new pet store in Kuwait and I’ll be posting about them soon. But, for now, I do want to post about their Halloween party tonight. I passed by last night and saw them setting things up and it looks like it going to be a lot of fun. So if you have a pet and are looking to do something tonight then consider dropping by Luna & Beau. They’re holding the event in their cafe and its going to run from 7PM to 11PM.

Here is their location on [Google Maps] and their instagram account with more info is @luna_beau

A lion was on the loose in Kabd earlier today. The video above went viral quickly and so did the authorities when it came to capturing it. According to KUNA, the security police along with the environment police managed to capture the lion and take it to the zoo. They believe the lion escaped from his owner who had kept him as a pet.

Surprisingly according to the news article, the maximum penalty for owning a lion is three years in jail or just KD50 fine. [Link]

I wasn’t planning to post about this because:

a) Nothing is going to be done about it
b) A lot of people will probably think there isn’t anything wrong with this

But, I’m being bombarded by people on instagram to write about this so clearly, a lot of you do think what he did was wrong.

Last night a video and photo started making their rounds on social media showing a local influencer unlocking the trunk of his car revealing his Chow Chow dog inside. The video is also accompanied by a photo taken I’m assuming on a different day of the same dog dead in the bottom of a pool with the caption that he committed suicide. Stuffing a Chow Chow in the trunk of your car in this heat is obvious abuse and sharing a picture of your dog dead is just tasteless. What makes this situation critical is that he has nearly 700,000 followers. When his followers see that he stuffs his dog in trunk, they might think that’s something normal to do (which it’s not).

If you want to read more on this and check out the videos/pictures, you can do so [Here]

Update: I’m curious to see if there will be any repercussion from his advertisers. If something like this took place in the States, his advertisers would drop him. So I’d be interested to see if any of his current advertisers like Kuwait International Bank (KIB) will distance themselves from him.

A couple of months back I attended a “Marine Mammals of Kuwait” seminar which focused mostly on dolphins and whales. It was kinda upsetting because it turns out we don’t have that much data on the whales and dolphins located in our waters. We don’t even have a proper database that archives sightings and we have too many local organizations that don’t seem to work or share data together. I actually had a huge rant I wrote right after attending the seminar but decided against posting it because I’m trying not to let shit like this get to me.

Sharks & Rays of the Arabian/Persian Gulf is a book I found out about after attending the seminar. I was sharing my frustration with a friend of mine and she told me about a Kuwaiti biologist who had a deep interest in sharks, so much so that she published this book that documents the sharks and rays in our waters. The book was only available on Amazon or The Palms dive center, so I didn’t end up picking it up until a few days ago when I found out that the book was now available at the Scientific Center gift shop.

The book costs KD10 with 60% of the income going to support sharks and rays research around the Arabian Peninsula. So if you care just a little bit, then you should really pick up a copy of this book.

A friend of mine recently moved back to Kuwait and brought his dog with him. He asked me the other day if I knew of any pet-friendly places and I had no idea. My dog is currently living with my ex-wife in Canada now and so I’ve been completely out of the loop with where to take a dog out. I used to take him to Al Shaheed Park back when it was just a regular large park (not what it is today), but with the new Al Shaheed Park pets aren’t allowed. The Scientific Center walkway is generally pet-friendly just because its a common sight seeing people walking their dogs there but other than that, I have no idea where someone can take their pets.

My friend heard Richards Coffee and Wild Cafe were both pet-friendly, but if you know of anywhere else let me know.

“Birds Endless Migration” is a documentary series that will show the birds’ migration journey through Kuwait. The series will be aired this year and was filmed by Kuwait Environmental Lens, a project to document, monitor and protect the wildlife environment in Kuwait. Can’t wait to watch this, the footage in the trailer looks great. [Vimeo]

A few pictures have been uploaded online by the company fabricating some of the wildlife that will be placed inside the Natural History Museum at the soon to open Abdullah Al Salem Cultural Centre, and they look really really good.

The other day I said you could see what looks like a shark hanging on display while driving by on the Gulf Road, turns out its a primitive whale (a Basilosaurus, pictured above).

The Quetzalcoatlus pictured above even got featured in the November issue of National Geographic! [Link]

To check out some more photos, click [Here]

Thanks lovelykuwait