Sometimes when you’re caught in the maelstrom of downtown city life in Abu Dhabi, it’s hard to imagine that anything but human beings actually live in this country. But get yourself out into the sandy expanses of the desert or the vast seas, and you’ll find some of the world’s most astounding examples of wildlife. Unfortunately, much of this wildlife is threatened with extinction, and some, such as the Hawksbill turtle, are critically endangered.
But now, the Abu Dhabi Environment Agency (EAD) has teamed up with Al Ain Wildlife Park & Resort (AWPR) and ARKive – an English firm that collects photos and films of rare wildlife – to launch the Jewels of the UAE initiative, which aims to raise the awareness of the animals and get the public behind the efforts to save the creatures.
By visiting the website – www.arkive.org/uae/en – you can see stunning photography of all the animals, as well as find out facts and figures about them. Meanwhile if you head along to Al Ain Zoo, the pictures have been increased in size and hung on a gallery wall for your viewing pleasure.
Here are some of the most interesting and endangered animals in UAE, ranked in order of how close they are to extinction.
1/ Hawksbill turtle
Named after its beak-like upper lip, this gentle giant of the seas is in danger of dying out due to the erosion of its coral reef home. The EAD is currently backing a scheme to breed baby turtles and reintroduce them to the seas around Abu Dhabi
Status: Critically endangered
2/ Arabian Oryx
At one time, this spear-horned animal was extinct in the wild after being hunted for its meat and pelt. After a huge captivity breeding programme in the ’80s and ’90s, its numbers are now recovering. There is now a 400-plus herd on Sir Bani Yas Island.
Status: Endangered
3/ Dugong
There are thought to be about 2,500 of these slow-moving sea cows inhabiting the mangrove swamps around the city, but they are notoriously shy of humans so you’re unlikely to spot one unless you’re very lucky. The dugongs themselves haven’t been that lucky; although their numbers remain steady in the UAE, hunting, entanglement in fishing nets and susceptibility to disease has pushed their worldwide population down 30 per cent in the past 10 years.
Status: Vulnerable
4/ Houbara bustard
This lanky bird was used as quarry for falconers for centuries, a practice that pushed it to the very brink of extinction. Hunting of the bird has now been outlawed in the UAE, and the royal families of Abu Dhabi have promoted several breeding programmes to rebuild its severely devastated population.
Status: Vulnerable
5/ Sand cat
The smallest cat in the Arabian deserts, this animal’s numbers have declined rapidly in recent years due to destruction of its natural habitat and hunting by farmers. One of the largest colonies of the cats living in captivity is at Al Ain Zoo.
Status: Near threatened
Al Ain Wildlife Park & Resort is open daily from 9am-8pm. Entry costs Dhs15 for adults,Dhs5 for children. Call 800 2977, or visit www.awpr.ae
