Wearing a long white robe and a head-cover, a young Emirati man with a stubble is introducing the bygone nomadic life of his ancestors. He, the guide, and we, the tourists, stand forming a circle. At the centre of the human ring is a glass showcase with several sculpted falcons. I am in Abu Dhabi Falcon Hospital—a government hospital dedicated to the treatment and upkeep of falcons. Established in 1999 as a government subsidized falcon veterinary centre, eventually it delved deeper into research and development of medicines. In 2006 the falcon hospital was capable of providing care to all species of birds. In 2007 it opened a facility to provide…