UAE's iconic Houbara makes Paris Museum debut

Abu Dhabi: UAE's iconic Houbara bustards made an appearance in Western Europe yesterday when eight of the Asian endangered birds were officially unveiled at a ceremony in Paris as the latest attraction at the Menagerie, the zoo of the Jardin des Plantes (National Museum of Natural History) in Paris. The live Houbara will be part of the museum's display of wildlife from the deserts of Arabia. The Houbara were donated by the International Fund for Houbara Conservation (IFHC) from its successful captive breeding programme, which is designed to provide a sustainable future for the bird which is at the heart of Arabic culture and tradition. The arrival of the Houbara is the culmination of a major project carried out jointly between IFHC and the museum to restore the "Aviaries of Constantine", located within the historic zoo of the Jardin des Plantes (Garden of Plants). A new structure, inspired by the desert environment of the local residents, has been built to replace previously damaged buildings. The Houbara will be the flagship species of the display, which focuses on the efforts being made to conserve Asiatic bio-diversity. The ceremony to celebrate the birds' arrival was attended by Majid Al Mansouri, Chairman of the Department of Municipal Affairs and board member of IFHC, and Mohamed Saleh Al Baidani, Director General of IFHC, on behalf of the Government of Abu Dhabi. Speaking at the ceremony, Al Mansouri said, "It is an honour for me to be here for the official opening of the Houbara pen at the French National Museum of Natural History. The Houbara has been an important element in the lives of the local residents for thousands of years. They are as much a part of our heritage as the falcon and the Oryx. Thanks to the good will of H.H. General Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces and Chairman of IFHC, thousands of visitors from around the world to this prestigious museum will now get the opportunity to witness the wonder of the Houbara for themselves." IFHC was established by Royal Decree in 2006 to take forward the ground-breaking conservation work of the Abu Dhabi Government in relation to the Houbara. Since the Houbara programme was established in the late 1970s, over 160,000 Houbara bustards have been produced as part of its captive breeding programme, of which more than 75,000 have been released to replenish wild populations and provide the culturally important species with a sustainable future. IFHC has forged strong links with France through research and conservation programmes, and the display at the museum will help make these ties even stronger. The museum also attracts many school children eager to learn about the natural world. Commenting on this, Al Baidani said, "Education is an important element of the work of IFHC, both locally and internationally. Making people aware of the problems facing species, such as the Houbara, is just as vital as the breeding and release programme we have pioneered. Conservation is a long-term process and educating the young people of today will help us secure a sustainable future for our natural world." – Emirates News Agency, WAM