Breakfast with big cats returns as Dubai Safari Park launches wild dining experience
Salam Month initiative offers free tickets for guests sharing special names
DUBAI – The Dubai Safari Park is inviting residents and tourists to begin their day in one of the most unusual breakfast settings in the city, with its “Dine in the Wild” experience placing guests just metres away from roaring lions.
The experience transforms the idea of a morning meal, replacing café walls and city noise with the sounds of wildlife, including lions stretching, calling, and moving through their natural habitat.
Visitors are also taken on guided tours across the park, offering insights into animal care, conservation programmes, and behind-the-scenes operations involving more than 3,000 animals.
‘Dine in the Wild’
The breakfast setup is located beside the lion habitat, giving guests a rare opportunity to observe big cats during their early morning activity while enjoying their meal. The experience blends dining with wildlife immersion, allowing visitors to hear natural sounds such as bird calls and movement within the enclosures.
It is designed as part of a broader educational journey across the park, where guests can explore different animal zones and learn about species protection and habitat management.
The concept has become one of the park’s most distinctive seasonal attractions, drawing attention for its combination of leisure and wildlife awareness.
According to Dr Murad Mustafa, Head of Veterinary Hospital, all animals arriving at the facility undergo strict quarantine procedures lasting between 30 and 90 days, along with detailed medical testing before entering public habitats. The veterinary system includes specialists in medicine, nutrition, laboratory science and animal care working together to ensure daily health monitoring.
Techniques such as hormone testing through blood and faecal samples are used to track pregnancies, while some big cats, including Bengal tigers, are trained to voluntarily provide blood samples without anaesthesia to reduce stress.
Salam Month
Alongside the immersive breakfast experience, Dubai Safari Park has also launched a special Salam Month initiative featuring a unique reward for visitors. Guests who carry the names “Salam” or “Salama” are being offered free entry tickets to the park, celebrating the arrival of the white rhino calf named Salam.
The initiative invites eligible visitors to claim their complimentary tickets before the end of the season, adding a personal twist to the park’s wildlife celebration. The young rhino, born on March 1, has become one of the park’s key attractions, symbolising conservation success and drawing attention throughout the ongoing season. As the park prepares to close Season 7 on May 31, both the breakfast experience and the name-based ticket initiative continue to attract strong interest.