LOCAL EFFORTS TO SAVE ENDANGERED WILDLIFE LEAD TO THE ARABIAN
LEOPARD TRUST
A report from the United Arab Emirates
Dr Marijcke Jongbloed
The author, a long term resident of Dubai, has played an important
role in efforts to increase public awareness on conservation issues
in the UAE and breeds the endangered Gordon’s wildcat in her garden.
Fifty offspring have been sent to 15 zoos around the world. She
is a founder member of the Arabian Leopard Trust.
The year that is coming to an end has seen some major developments
in conservation efforts in the United Arab Emirates. The Emirates
Natural History Group (started in 1977 in Abu Dhabi, with a branch
in Al Ain and an independent group in Dubai) has always focused
on conservation issues and was instrumental in creating protected
areas for key species of wading birds. The Al Ain Zoo has been
breeding endangered Arabian wildlife for many years, and its herd
of Arabian oryx now stands at over 140 animals. Other species
that are being bred successfully in captivity include the sandcat
(Felis margarita), with 24 offspring of four wild-caught, unrelated
animals; 48 reem gazelle (Gazella subgutturosa marica); 38 Arabian
dorcas (Gazella dorcas) and 120 dhabi (Gazella gazella). The wolves,
which are breeding abundantly, are unfortunately hybridised with
feral domestic dogs. One pair of pure Arabian wolves, obtained
from Saudi Arabia, has not yet bred.
The Gordon’s wildcat (Felis silvestris gordoni) has been bred
in captivity by private owners in Dubai. From one pregnant female
about 50 offspring have been distributed to 15 zoos around the
world, including Dubai Zoo and Kuwait Zoo. In order to infuse
new blood into the breeding programme, a cat-catching campaign
was launched during the first five months of 1993, sponsored by
local companies and individuals, which resulted in the capture
of a young male. The result of the highly publicised campaign
was that many people became aware for the first time that there
were endangered animals in the desert that were worth saving.
The increased public awareness of nature paid rapid dividends
for, when a spate of killings of Arabian leopards and caracal
lynxes was reported in the local press during the first quarter
of 1993, this brought a group of residents together to form The
Arabian Leopard Trust. This Trust operates under the umbrella
of a local charity named The Environment Friends. The aims of
the Trust are threefold: to educate the general public about threats
to the environment, particularly in relation to the big cats;
to support efforts directed at establishment of nature reserves
in the UAE and southern Arabia; and to promote the breeding of
endangered Arabian species with the objective, wherever possible,
of releases back into the wild.
The Arabian Leopard Trust faces a major challenge for the issues
are complicated and tend to rate a relatively low priority in
the socio-economic climate of the region. There have however been
many signs that public awareness campaigns are bearing fruit and
interest in such conservation issues is growing. We can only hope
that there is still time to save the Arabian leopard from extinction.
Peter Hellyer
Fishing off the coast of Abu Dhabi was suspended for a two week
period in late September and early October following reports of
a number of incidences of fish-kills that were initially ascribed
to high levels of mercury poisoning. The Federal Environmental
Agency, officially created earlier in the year, invited scientists
from the United States and Britain to help investigate the incident,
with responsibility finally being placed upon what was officially
described as “isolated outbreaks of algal blooms” or “red tides”.
Extensive searches of coastal waters and the shoreline after the
fish kill was first reported, probably the most detailed ever
made, produced several dead dolphins, mostly bottle-nosed dolphins,
which are relatively common in deeper waters off the UAE coast.
These deaths were later connected to a probable bacterial infection.
Efforts to compare the level of dolphin mortality with usual rates
of death proved impossible as the investigating committee, headed
by FEA Chairman and Health Minister Ahmed Saeed al Badi, found
that no proper previous records had been kept. One result of the
incident is that plans are now being laid for the creation of
a register where details of deaths of marine mammals and other
animals like turtles can be kept, which, in turn, should lead
to a better understanding of their status in the southern Arabian
Gulf.
During the investigation, a number of fish were found to contain
encysted nematodes, similar to parasites previously reported from
Kuwait. These were taken to the United States for analysis and
study.
One by-product of the incident was a recognition of the need for
greater study of the UAE’s sea and marine biology, which, in turn,
should produce extensive new knowledge on the threats from pollution
to the increasingly busy waterways of the southern Gulf.
WADI RUM PROPOSED AS NEW NATURE RESERVE
The Jordanian Royal Society for the Conservation of Nature
The proposed Wadi Rum Nature Reserve is located in southern Jordan
among the well-known Rum mountains and covers an area of approximately
500 sq.kms. The location is centred on 35°25′ East longitude and
29°35′ North latitude. The boundaries enclose the distinctive,
sheer sided mountain masses of the Rum area along with some of
the typical sandy wadis and the diverse vegetated wadi Rumman.
Elevation ranges from 800m to 1750 m above sea-level.
Wadi Rum is the result of an enormous upheaval that thrust granite
and sandstone outcrops through the surface of the earth millions
of years ago. Looking at the cliffs, one sees the colourful phenomenon
of ever changing hues, depending on the hour of the day. Human
habitation dates back 8000 years with numerous sites and rock
drawings bearing witness to this fact. Ruins of a Nabatean temple
found at the great massif of Jebel Rum identifies Wadi Rum as
an important centre for Nabateans in early times.
Plant cover includes communities dominated by Lygos raetam, Haloxylon
reticulatum, Anabasis articulata and Artemisia inculta.
The proposed nature reserve is one of the few remaining places
that harbour remnant populations of large animals such as ibex
and the goitered gazelle (Gazella subgutturosa). In addition hedgehogs,
striped hyena, hare, red fox, rock hyrax and porcupine are reputed
to occur. resident birds include mourning wheatear, white-crowned
black wheatear, Sinai rosefinch and the brown-necked raven.
Over-grazing, soil pulverisation and altering of the area’s archaeology
remain significant problems facing the proposed site. In addition,
poverty, unemployment, lack of basic services and the intricate
structure of the Bedouin community would compound problems associated
with implementation unless carefully considered. The Nature Reserve
will ultimately constitute an adequate level of protection for
the area.
A third training workshop for rangers was held at the NCWCD Headquarters
from 9 October to 9 November 1993. The Workshop includes discussions
and practical training related to the ranger’s duties and is directed
at improving their performance. Fifteen rangers from the ten protected
areas in the Kingdom have participated in this workshop.
Five staff members from NCWCD participated in the First International
Wildlife Management Congress held in San Jose, Costa Rica from
19-25 September, 1993. Three papers dealing with wildlife in the
Kingdom were presented at the Congress. In addition, the Secretary-General
of the NCWCD, Prof. Abdulaziz Abuzinada presented a cheque for
US$10,000 to the President of the American Wildlife Society as
a contribution from the Government of Saudi Arabia towards organisation
of the Congress and printing of the Congress Proceedings.
An international workshop on restoration of houbara bustard populations
in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia was organised by NCWCD, at the
National Wildlife Research centre, Taif and Riyadh, from 29 September
to 5 October, 1993. Experts from UK, USA, Khazakstan, Russia,
New Zealand, Germany, France, South Africa and Saudi Arabia participated
in the workshop. As a result of the workshop, a strategy for captive
breeding and reintroduction of the birds is being developed.
The Saudi Biological Society will hold its 15th Annual meeting
in May 1994. The venue is to be Umm Al Qara University in Makkah,
and the theme of the meeting is Biological Aspects of the Kingdom
of Saudi Arabia.
IUCN SPECIES SPECIALIST GROUPS
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia will be represented by NCWCD at the
IUCN General Assembly and Species Specialist Groups meetings which
will be held in Buenos Aires, Argentina in January 1994. A contribution
of US $15,000 from the Saudi Government towards the organisation
of these meetings will be presented to the organisers. Also, an
exhibit on the achievements of the Commission in the field of
wildlife conservation in the Kingdom, with emphasis on the System
Plan of Protected Areas, will be displayed during the meetings.
Last spring, a weakened young turtle saved by fishermen in the
Red Sea, north of Jeddah, was presented to the Commission. The
turtle was nurtured back to good health by Commission staff and
released back to the Red Sea on 6th October by members of the
NCWCD Turtle Research Team.
The latest issue, Vol.3.2, of Tribulus, the bi-annual Journal
of the Abu Dhabi-based Emirates Natural History Group, appeared
recently. As usual, it contains a mixture of items of interest
both to natural historians and archaeologists, including a summary
of recent sightings of the Arabian leopard and caracal lynx in
the UAE and the neighbouring Musandam enclave of Oman; a preliminary
list of ant records from Abu Dhabi; the second part of a listing
of fossil sea-urchin tests found in the UAE and neighbouring Oman;
notes on Brandt’s hedgehog, the desert monitor, and a carpet viper
eating an Arabian toad; as well as some interesting archaeological
items. Also included, in both English and Arabic, is the Law of
the UAE’s new federal Environmental Agency, as well as a report
by Simon Aspinall and Erik Hirschfield on the greater flamingo
colony reviewed in this edition of Arabian Wildlife by Tribulus
Editor, Peter Hellyer.
Funded largely from sales and the support of a number of corporate
sponsors, the magazine, now entering its fourth year, is in A4
format, with colour illustrations, and is the only journal devoted
purely to the natural history and archaeology of the Emirates.
Copies are available from the ENHG, P.O.Box 2380, Abu Dhabi, UAE,
or from the Ornithological Society of the Middle East, The Lodge,
Sandy, Bedfordshire, SG192DL, UK.
BAHRAIN NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETY
by Professor Phil Basson, Chairman.
The Bahrain Natural History Society, which was originally established
in the mid-1970’s, is involved with a diverse and wide ranging
list of activities. The Society has a monthly meeting on the first
Tuesday of every month, at which time an illustrated talk is presented
to the membership and general public. There is an executive committee
of about 14 members which is responsible for planning programmes
and directing the activities of the Society.
From time to time, the BNHS publishes a report entitled Wildlife
of Bahrain (i.e. 1977, 1984, 1987, 1990) containing items pertaining
to the natural history of Bahrain’s island nation. It also presents
an up-dated list of birds sighted on a semi-annual basis. In November
1993, society member Dr Saeed Mohamed, saw the launch of his fine
illustrated book on Bahrain’s bird life. Published in Arabic the
book is the first of its kind and should make a strong impact
on Bahrainis. Two other society members: Tom Nightingale and Mike
Hill, have also written and illustrated a beautiful book on Bahrain’s
birds, published this time in English. Meanwhile another member
of the Society, Steve Green, is collecting material for a book
on Bahrain’s sea-shells.
The society plays an active role in communicating the conservation
message and in taking practical steps to protect wildlife. The
society’s role in joint programmes operated together with the
United Nations Environmental Programme (UNEP) and the Environmental
Protection Committee of Bahrain, the EPC, has been ably co-ordinated
on behalf of BNHS by Joy Elliott. Activities in this field have
included “Climb for the World”; a Mini-Earth Summit; a one-day
teacher training session on the ecology of Tubli Bay and its associated
mangrove area; and, during the Gulf War oil spill crisis, a wildlife
clean-up programme for oil-fouled animals. There are also a number
of specific bird oriented projects including ringing and observations
for the world-wide wetlands bird survey.
NATIONAL AVIAN RESEARCH CENTRE
ESTABLISHED IN ABU DHABI
Richard J. Hornby
It was the need to solve the ‘houbara problem’ and disentangle
the complexity of ecological factors involved in its decline,
that led to establishment of the National Avian Research centre
in Abu Dhabi. The legal basis of the Centre is vested in a Royal
Decree approved in September 1989 by HH The Crown Prince and Deputy
Ruler of Abu Dhabi, Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed al Nahyan. The Centre
is charged with responsibility for carrying out scientific ecological
research (particularly into houbara bustards), to promote scientific
understanding and public interest in the conservation of birds
and to develop and implement appropriate plans and projects with
Government institutions. The ultimate aim is to increase the number
of houbara wintering in Abu Dhabi. Significant resources will
be devoted to managing the houbara already in captivity in Abu
Dhabi, particularly at Al Ain Zoo, in order to increase their
breeding output. Avicultural methods clearly need to be developed
using scientific principles, and the possibility of large-scale
breeding and release remains a possibility. For the time being,
however, all options will be pursued with equal vigour. The number
of houbara wintering in Abu Dhabi could be increased by persuading
the migrants to spend longer there before continuing south, or
by establishing a new resident breeding population. Captive breeding,
restoration of habitat in Abu Dhabi, and improvement of conditions
in the breeding grounds in central Asia, are all part of NARC’s
game-plan. (extracted with permission from Oman Bird News).