In early stages, the founders of Animal Encounter used to receive wildlife enthusiasts- visitors and schoolchildren- in the backyard of their house where animals sat protected behind bars and Dr. Abou Said would deliver his educational lectures inside the house. With the growing influx of visitors, the center relocated to bigger premises in the Ras El-Jabal area, at Aley, to better accommodate the guests. The plot of land was donated by the Aley municipality with Canadian assistance.

Objectives

The Center, which is home to nearly 35 species of mammals, birds, reptiles and amphibians, has been widely acclaimed over the past two decades for raising environmental awareness and spreading knowledge of the importance of wildlife rehabilitation. Its quick response in rescuing sick, injured and orphaned animals and birds has made it a noteworthy place for reporting distressed wildlife populations and its captive breeding programs have helped conserve endangered species and release them into their natural habitat. In addition, the Center’s commitment to conduct wildlife research has yielded the discovery four new species of bat and three species of rat endemic to Lebanon. These have been documented and published in international journals. With its scientific expertise and steadfast resolve to engage all age groups in ecological responsibility, Lebanon’s Encounter Center has earned its reputation as a pioneer in biodiversity conservation.

Having proved itself to be a successful example in the wildlife conservation landscape, around 40,000 visitors- half of whom are school students- flock to the facility every year to take live tours in the center and to assist in caring for both vulnerable and captive creatures before their reintroduction into the wild. Over the years, students and researchers alike have benefited from the Center’s multimedia library to conduct studies on biodiversity and ecological balance.

Activities

Due to ecological imbalance and to prejudice against hyenas, these creatures appear to be under threat of an extinction. Wishing to give hope for this endangered species and to alter the mistaken notions held about them as dangerous and ferocious animals, Animal Encounter has released around 30 hyenas into the vast forest. The center also shelters the black bear, a species that was last seen in 1958. The black bears, which used to inhabit the Al-Makmel Mountain, north of Lebanon, were identified for the first time in 1826 and their extinction is said to be attributed to severe forest degradation. Among the other wild creatures finding refuge in the facility is the gazelle, which has died out due to hostile hunting practices and deforestation. The last reported sighting of this species was in 1902.

As previously mentioned, the Animal Encounter Center has a good record of discovering new species and documenting them in international scientific journals. The dipolidae, a rodent that lives in areas exceeding above 2000 meters is one example of the several rat and bat species discovered by the center. In order to raise awareness of the vital function of night-dwelling bats, the Animal Encounter Center has made it an annual tradition to organize and celebrate the International Bat Night event, which is the only one of its kind in the Middle East.

Challenges

Lack of state involvement is at the base of the difficulties hindering the expansion of the center. Little concern is exhibited by the Ministries of Environment and Agriculture over the conservation of wildlife and the only contribution they offer is paying lip service or transferring vulnerable animals to receive care at the Center rather than sharing part of the responsibility. The modesty of financial resources is another reason that limits an expansion of their activities, especially since the entrance to the center is free of charge and the organization relies wholly on voluntary donations made bu visitors. Overhead expenses have jumped to USD 4500 per month, all of which are covered by Dr. Said and his wife from their personal funds. Through their lack of knowledge of the center’s significance as a staunch protector of wildlife and ecological balance, people often subject the facility to thoughtless acts of vandalism and theft, exacerbated all the more by the lenience in implementing the legislation pertaining to environmental protection and the conservation of wildlife and natural habitats.