Born during a period of regional tension and named after the Arabic word for peace, Salam, Dubai Safari Park’s white rhino calf, has quickly become one of the destination’s biggest stars this season.
Now, the park is inviting UAE residents who share his name to come meet him for free. As part of its newly launched “Month of Salam” campaign, Dubai Safari Park is offering complimentary Safari Bundle tickets to visitors named Salam or Salama before the park closes for summer on May 31.
The campaign was announced during a special session at the park on Thursday, May 14, where Khaleej Times was invited to meet the calf and learn more about the conservation work happening behind the scenes.
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Guests who do not share the name can still take part by posting messages of peace on Dubai Safari Park’s Instagram page for a chance to win tickets.
Salam was born on March 1 to mother Olive, weighing 73.5kg, and has since become one of the park’s most talked-about arrivals. The calf is the second white rhino born at Dubai Safari Park after the birth of Onyx in 2024.
White rhinos are currently listed as Near Threatened by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), making each successful birth part of wider global conservation efforts.
During the media session, veterinary experts explained how Salam’s pregnancy was closely monitored through hormone tracking and regular health screenings.
Dr. Murad B. M. Mustafa, Head of the Veterinary Hospital at Dubai Safari Park, said the team uses both blood and faecal sample testing to monitor pregnancies while minimising stress on the animals.
“The animal will not feel that you are taking a sample,” he explained, referring to the collection of faecal samples directly from habitats for hormone analysis.
Miguel, one of the park’s curators, said Salam’s birth was part of carefully coordinated international breeding programmes designed to maintain healthy genetic diversity among endangered species.
“These animals don’t just come out of thin air,” he said. “There’s planning done with coordinators to make sure we are breeding animals that need to be bred.”
Currently, Salam remains under close observation while bonding with his mother, though visitors can already spot the young rhino becoming more active around the habitat.
The “Month of Salam” campaign follows Save the Rhino Day earlier this month and serves as the final major initiative of Dubai Safari Park’s Season 7.
Source: Khaleej Times