Al Islami Foods, a leading producer of halal food in the region, has signed an agreement with the Abu Dhabi Wildlife Centre (ADWC) to donate meat to carnivores that are being taken care at the centre.

The ADWC is a non-profit organisation that was started by Sheikh Mansour Bin Zayed al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister of UAE, Minister of Presidential Affairs and chairman of Abu Dhabi Food Control Authority.

The centre specialises in the conservation, rehabilitation and breeding of endangered big cats, as well as raising public awareness about the urgent need for wildlife preservation.

Under the agreement, Al Islami will supply a sizeable portion of meat to Abu Dhabi Wildlife Centre every month. A total of four tons of healthy meat has already been delivered to the centre, said a top official.

“The underfed condition of animals has stirred us up to think about the animals species. We encourage other companies to contribute to such charities, non-profits, along with the destitute and the low income people who are in dire need of help from the industry,” observed Saleh Abdullah Lootah, managing director of Al Islami Foods.

“One of the objectives of starting such initiative is to encourage other companies to follow,” he noted.

As part of its wide-range CSR programme, Al Islami donates to charitable organisations working on the environment and human welfare. This is the first time the company is donating to an animal welfare organisation. The initiative is in a bid to conserve environment, animal welfare and setting an example in industry to follow, he added.

Ronel Barcellos, manager of the Abu Dhabi Wildlife Centre, said, '“I am so grateful to Al Islami for the donations. The centre is now able to free up a large portion of the monthly budget which can be spent on things like irrigation and modification of the animal’s enclosures.'

'I will only feed the animals the highest quality meat to restore them back to health and keep them well nourished. Thank you Al Islami for the animal care,' said an elated Ronel.-TradeArabia News Service