A viral video on social media features a man in the UAE boarding an Etihad flight from Abu Dhabi to Morocco while having his pet falcon with him, along with its own passport. The shocking clip went viral and netizens are left agog.
The popular clip, first uploaded by Instagram handle @uaefalcons_, is taken at Abu Dhabi airport’s Etihad counter. A man dressed in traditional Emirati attire has a falcon sitting calmly on his hand. Another traveler, clearly entertained, walks up and asks, “Is it flying?”
The owner of the falcon replies in a self-assured smile, “Yeah, obviously it is flying with us inside the plane.”
The amusing but short interaction goes on as the inquiring passenger asks, “Where are you going?” The owner says, “To Morocco.” The punchline arrives next: “It’s a dumb question, but does he have identification?”—which induces the handler of the falcon to produce an official passport for the bird to the amazement of everyone.
Watch the viral video:
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UAE Falcons Have Passports!
As the man browses through the bird’s passport, the information indicates that the falcon is a male bird from Spain with a history of travel through several countries. The surprised man can be heard uttering, “This is extraordinary.”
In the UAE, falcons are revered in culture and tradition. Passporting the birds is not rare, as they are very prized and tend to travel abroad with their owners.
Social Media Amused
Since then, the video has passed 1.6 million views on Instagram and the comment section is full of shock, laughter, and admiration.
A user quipped, “This falcon travels more than I do!” and another quipped, “He most likely has more stamps on his passport than me.” Another posting captioned it for laughs: “Only in the UAE would this be entirely normal.”
Most praised the respect for animals in the region and its strong traditions. “Arab respect for animals is on another level. This is ultimate Arab luxury,” someone posted.
Reactions varied from “That’s so majestic!” to “Wait, birds get passports now?” One viewer pictured the bizarre scene onboard: “Picture sitting next to a falcon on a plane,” and another captured the general feeling perfectly: “This is why I love the internet.
