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Out in a wrong place

An Arabian gazelle has made home an abandoned labour accommodation near Mazyad Mall in the Capital’s Mohammed bin Zayed City township.

The residents of the area were surprised to see the beautiful animal in the vicinity, where stray dogs and cats are commonly seen wandering or searching for food.

Siddique, a local resident told Khaleej Times about the animal after he could not get help from local police and Abu Dhabi Municipality. “In the hot summer afternoon, a beautiful gazelle was roaming around,” Mohammed Tasleem, a worker who lives in a nearby labour accommodation, said.

Tasleem, who works for a local oil services company as driver, said that he was the first to spot it around 11pm on Friday. “It was amazing. The animal was standing peacefully under a palm tree, grazing on the grass and other vegetation,” he said.

“’When I approached to catch it, the animal started running in a zigzag style in panic,” Tasleem, an Indian national, said. On Saturday morning, Tasleem saw the animal still around in the vicinity. He gave it water in a pot to drink, because of the hot weather.

The area where it was found wandering is 300 metres away from Mazyad Mall and quite far from posh villas, from where it is quite possible that it may have escaped. Khaleej Times contacted Al Ain Zoo to know what action they can take in this regard, but till 5.45pm they did not respond.

Gazelle or Dhabi in Arabic are not new to Abu Dhabi, or even the Arabian Peninsula as this animal inhabited in the deserts of the emirate for centuries. This strong bond is also reflected in the very name of Abu Dhabi, which stands for Father of Gazelle. The animal has a prominent place in the local culture, where it is adored for its beauty. —haseeb@khaleejtimes.com