A Top-notch Hospital in Doha Is Busy: Only Falcons Allowed

Veterinarians at the Souq Waqif Falcon Hospital work on a patient in Doha, Qatar, March 15, 2022. AP Photo/Lujain Jo)
Veterinarians at the Souq Waqif Falcon Hospital work on a patient in Doha, Qatar, March 15, 2022. AP Photo/Lujain Jo)
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A Top-notch Hospital in Doha Is Busy: Only Falcons Allowed

Veterinarians at the Souq Waqif Falcon Hospital work on a patient in Doha, Qatar, March 15, 2022. AP Photo/Lujain Jo)
Veterinarians at the Souq Waqif Falcon Hospital work on a patient in Doha, Qatar, March 15, 2022. AP Photo/Lujain Jo)

At first glance, the Souq Waqif clinic in the historic center of Doha, the capital of Qatar, could be any other state-of-the-art hospital.

Nurses in blue scrubs move briskly through the bright wards, conducting rounds. Radiology and operating rooms whir with the beeps and blinks of monitors. Specialists squint at X-rays and masked doctors make incisions with all the high-tech tools of modern surgery on hand.

There’s just one thing: The rooms are filled with falcons.

In Qatar, the desert birds are among the nation’s most pampered residents.

Long revered across the Arabian Peninsula for their ferocity and hunting prowess, falcons today serve as sheikhly status symbols recalling a Bedouin past. The bond between falconers and their falcons has been an inspiration since the Paleolithic period, when drawings of the creatures first appeared on cave walls, according to The Associated Press.

Although less fashionable now than in the days of yore, the art of falconry is still passed down from one generation to the next in Qatar and other sheikhdoms of the Arabian Gulf. With demand growing in recent years, clubs that teach the sport have sprouted up across the region. Falcons compete in an increasing number of races and beauty contests.

“The establishment of the hospital was to support the hobby and heritage of raising falcons ... it’s a pastime that stretches its veins into multiple generations,” Souq Waqif hospital director Dr. Ikdam Al Karkhi recently told The Associated Press. “Keeping them alive and well is an essential duty.”

Public hospitals like Souq Waqif offer expert care to sick and wounded hawks, roughly 30,000 a year. The marbled reception area bustles with owners and handlers bringing their birds in for check-ups, medical tests, feather replacements, orthopedic surgeries — and even something akin to mani-pedis.

Falcon nail filing is very serious business, as birds transplanted from the desert wild to homes in Doha or bred in captivity cannot easily find sharp surfaces on which to trim their talons.

During a falcon’s hunt, the cornered prey at times puts up a fight, clawing an attacking falcon and hobbling its wings. Each of a falcon’s feathers is vital to its flight, necessitating careful feather replacement after a scuffle.

Doctors pull from a bank of shed feathers to find one that perfectly matches the wounded bird’s breed — plumage of the same pattern, length and color.

“If these damaged feathers remain, it can cause loss or reduction of the bird’s fitness,” Al Karkhi said. “They must be treated.”

Hospital surgeons treat other casualties of the hunt, too. Falcons’ beaks and talons suffer damage from all that swooping and plunging and gobbling.

“If a person is neglecting their bird, it’s a huge problem,” said Hamad Al Mehshadi, a falcon festival manager taking his raptor for a regular medical checkup. “When one holds onto their bird, it is something else. The love of the bird is extraordinary.”

Today, the Souq Waqif still sees a steady stream of 150 falcons a day — a sign that the echoes of Qatar’s ancient past are not lost.

“Even the look that a falcon and its owner share, it’s different than any other look,” Al Karkhi said. Falconers “feel the loyalty of this bird — a fierce warrior in the wild and yet a pet in my hand.”



German Backpacker Escapes Australian Bush Ordeal by 'Sheer Luck'

German backpacker Carolina Wilga lost hope of rescue after 11 nights in the Australian bush. Handout / WESTERN AUSTRALIAN POLICE FORCE/AFP
German backpacker Carolina Wilga lost hope of rescue after 11 nights in the Australian bush. Handout / WESTERN AUSTRALIAN POLICE FORCE/AFP
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German Backpacker Escapes Australian Bush Ordeal by 'Sheer Luck'

German backpacker Carolina Wilga lost hope of rescue after 11 nights in the Australian bush. Handout / WESTERN AUSTRALIAN POLICE FORCE/AFP
German backpacker Carolina Wilga lost hope of rescue after 11 nights in the Australian bush. Handout / WESTERN AUSTRALIAN POLICE FORCE/AFP

German backpacker Carolina Wilga lost hope of rescue after 11 nights in the Australian bush, and only made it out by "sheer luck", police said Saturday.

The 26-year-old walked "confused and disoriented" 24 kilometers (15 miles) away from her van after it got stuck in remote bushland in Western Australia, AFP reported.

As police searched for her by air, the backpacker's ordeal ended Friday when she managed to flag down a woman driving by who took her to police.

"She is still in disbelief that she was able to survive. In her mind, she had convinced herself that she was not going to be located," said Jessica Securo, acting inspector for the Western Australia police.

The rescue was down to "sheer luck".

"I actually spoke to Carolina this morning, so she confirmed that she was very confused and disorientated," Securo told a news conference.

"She basically looked at the direction of the sun and tried to head west, thinking that that would be her best bet of coming across someone or a road."

Wilga had been last seen on June 29 arriving in the van at a general store in the small agricultural community of Beacon, northeast of Perth.

Police found the van on Thursday, abandoned after getting stuck in dense bushland north of Beacon, with plastic orange traction tracks placed beneath the rear wheels.

"It appears that she has somewhat lost control of the vehicle, and then it's become mechanically unsound, and bogged," Securo said.

- 'Overwhelmed' -

She stayed with the van for one day before leaving the vehicle through "panic", hoping to find help.

Wilga was found "exhausted, dehydrated and hungry", suffering from cuts and bruises, but "overwhelmed" to have found someone to help her.

"She had minimal food and minimal water. From speaking to her, she has said she could have planned better."

The terrain "can be quite dangerous", Securo added.

Wilga remained in a Perth hospital and was not expected to be released on Saturday, still needing "emotional support" and treatment for some injuries.

"She's had a good night's sleep. She's had a shower. We've got her some food, which was a massive relief for her. So she's just taking it one day at a time at the moment."

The backpacker is now in "frequent communication" with her family who are relieved and thankful the Western Australian community came together to "throw every resource at locating their daughter", Securo said.

The family had no plans at this stage to travel to Australia.

Police say Wilga had spent two years backpacking around the country, and was working at mine sites in Western Australia while staying mostly at hostels.

"Carolina has told me that she loves Australia. She still has so much travel to do here. She hasn't made it over to the east coast yet, so that's still on her bucket list."