There has probably never been a time when the wildlife of Arabia
has been more in need of protection than the present day. Equally,
there has never been a time when the human inhabitants of Arabia
have taken greater efforts to preserve the region's animals and
plants. This is not to say that enough is being done, but it does
indicate an increased awareness at all levels of society that
there is an inextricable interdependence between Humankind and
Nature. Just as we depend upon the maintenance of a healthy natural
environment in which wild animals and plants can also flourish,
so do these species depend upon our own actions and attitudes
in relation to them as individuals, to their natural habitats,
and to the overall environment which we share with them.
In this issue of Arabian Wildlife we look at several aspects of this equation. The houbara bustard, whose population in Arabia has dramatically declined in recent years, is now receiving special attention. Not only have extensive reserves been created but important breakthroughs have occurred in captive breeding, producing sufficient birds for controlled release back into the wild. One of the valuable tools in this, and other conservation efforts involving oryx, has been refined Geographic Information Systems which are also discussed with a view to encouraging their further use in wildlife management programmes.
In discussing the sad fate of the onager that once roamed the plains of Arabia, providing a valuable source of meat for the Bedouin who lived there, we are reminded of what could happen to existing species unless we take effective action to protect them. Both the Arabian leopard and the dugong are cases in point. Our story about the leopard contains notes of both optimism and great sadness. It also brings home the tremendous urgency that must be attached to certain conservation efforts.
Elsewhere in this issue you will read of Arabia's great wealth of wildlife, of unique habitats such as the Farasan bank, where disturbance by man is so rare that wildlife shows little fear and large predators still occupy the pinnacle of the pyramid of life. Our shallow seas demand as much care and protection as do the remote mountain areas where colourful flowers still bloom in great profusion and animals like the leopard still live.
I hope that you find food for thought in this issue and look forward to receiving any news or views from yourselves: the readers of Arabia's first wildlife magazine.
Professor Abdulaziz H. Abuzinada
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Arabian Wildlife. Volume 1, Number 2