Abu Dhabi Week goes wild for the one woman dedicating her home and life to all creatures great and small
We’ve waited for some time for the Abu Dhabi Wildlife Centre to open, and we’re thrilled when we’re finally invited along to talk spots and stripes with the director, Ronel Smuts.
The ‘wild’ is certainly very appropriate. As the car bounces along the off-road track to the Wildlife Centre, the view is most definitely wild; and when we arrive there’s nothing but sand surrounding the area behind Al Wathba lake on the Al Ain truck road outside Musaffah. The air is hot and still and apart from the thrum of trucks in the background there’s no sign of life.
That is, until I pull up at the Centre. I wait inside Ronel’s office, trying not to smile at the abundance of animal prints surrounding me – leopard and zebra from floor to ceiling. It’s very clichéd – but I like it (I’m trying to hide my own leopard print bag from view; its blue, and clashes with the more authentic colours in the room). There’s a very distinct south African vibe here, reinforced when Ronel breezes into the room with her warm South African drawl – and leopard print top.
We’ve been trying to meet Ronel for some time, but she’s been understandably preoccupied. “I’m just so busy!’ she apologises, waving her arms around the room at her desk, the pile of paperwork and the constantly ringing phone.
“I’m just waiting for another wall to be built outside and then I’m going to open the Centre to the public. There’s so much work to do – but it’s always going to be like that, it’s a work in progress.
“I have a 24-hour schedule!” she jokes. “I spend every hour possible looking after my extended family – as well as my own children. I’m very lucky – my daughter loves animals, as does my son, so they both help me out as much as they can.”
She talks warmly and passionately about the centre and her animals, remaining surprisingly calm amid the chaotic noise of chirping and whistling birds. Ronel’s been living in the UAE for 12 years now and with the help of her family, she’s been dedicating all her time and energy to a topic very close to her heart.
“It’s not a job. My life has taken me on this path – it’s my vocation, looking after these animals. And I wouldn’t change it for the world! It’s very emotional and draining at times, but it’s rewarding too.”
Ronel started the Centre after HH Sheikh Bin Zayed Al Nahyan asked her to help rescue ill-treated and illegally imported animals.
“There’s a real need to educate people out here. Many people smuggle in exotic animals, especially through Sharjah, to keep as pets. The thing is, these animals are simply not pets. People don’t know how to look after them properly and the animals end up being neglected and mistreated.
“I’ve seen so many sad things. I want to help educate and protect. The Wildlife Centre is certainly not a zoo – it’s a home for treatment and care,” Ronel explains.
I climb into Ronel’s car for a tour of the area. As we navigate our way around large enclosures and pens, Ronel calls out to each of the animals; rather impressively, they all respond in one way or another, including Mia, a young female lion who makes a low, appreciative noise as she nuzzles against the pen towards Ronel’s hand when we stop off to say hello.
“I’ve hand-reared many of these animals so they all respond to me and know me well. As I said, I have a rather large family!” she laughs.
“There’s no way I could ever turn an animal down – they all have a place in my heart.”
As we continue around the Centre, Ronel reels off an exhaustive list of all things she ‘still has to do’. From continuing work on the on-site veterinary centre to the building of the children’s area, as well additional work on some of the air-conditioned pens for the animals and planting more trees and grass across the centre, Ronel has her work cut out.
“We’re a non-profit organisation,” she says. “We’re very lucky to have such support from Sheikh Mansoor, but as we continue to grow and take in more rescued animals, we want to bring in the community for support and help.
“We have a volunteer student programme and we’re looking at opening a little gift shop in the near future. It goes without saying that support and donations are gratefully received – feeding these animals alone is a great cost, and trying to plant grass isn’t cheap ... especially when the goats keep eating it!”
We stop off at yet another enclosure and are greeted by two sets of cute, inquisitive eyes. I’m speechless as we’re allowed in through the gate and are playfully tugged and nudged at by Jenny and Bolt – two three-month-old cheetah cubs.
“We have so many different types of large cat here, among them tigers, lions, serval cats and leopards, but cheetahs are particularly special to me. Sadly there are only about 1,200 cheetahs left in the wild. These two are especially important to me. It’s wonderful to see them play together so happily here.”
After sitting for some time, quite mesmerised by the experience of being up, close and personal with these rare animals as they jump, run and nibble at absolutely anything in sight (including Ronel’s flipflops) I eventually say my goodbyes to the furry twosome and head back to Ronel’s office.
Unsurprisingly, Ronel’s photo albums are full of pictures of her tending to a range of animals, from back in her homeland in Africa, to recent success stories and survivals of some of the animals at the centre. She points proudly to each of the images, much as a mother might do with pictures of her children.
“It’s a long and tiring job, but so rewarding,” she says. “I’m very grateful to be doing what I’m doing. And I hope that the Wildlife Centre will be as rewarding to the community as it is to me.”
Fast facts
The cheetah is the fastest land animal and can reach speeds of up to 120km per hour. It has the ability to go from 0 to 110km (68mph) in three seconds, faster than a Bugatti Veyron and even sleeker.
? The cheetah’s paws have semi retractable claws, helping it to hunt and grip when reaching high speeds during running.
? Unlike other big cats, cheetahs can purr as they inhale. They cannot roar
For more information, to volunteer or especially to donate to the Abu Dhabi Wildlife Centre, call 02 582 8277 or visit www.abudhabiwildlifecentre.com.
[caption] Ronel Smuts and furry friend
[writer]Charlie Kennedy
[Originally published in Abu Dhabi Week vol 2 issue 14]
