ID :
100684
Sun, 01/17/2010 - 15:53
Auther :
Shortlink :
https://oananews.org//node/100684
The shortlink copeid
70 captive-bred houbara released in the Western Region
Abu Dhabi, Jan 17, 2010 (WAM)- As part of Abu Dhabi's efforts to protect Houbara bustards and its comprehensive global strategy of producing over 50,000 houbara bustards to increase the bird's population in their natural habitats in its geographic distribution in Asia and North Africa, 70 captive-bred Houbara bustards produced at the National Avian Research Centre (NARC) of the International Fund for Houbara Conservation were released today by H.H Sheikh Hamdan Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Ruler's Representative in the Western Region and Chairman of the Environment Agency - Abu Dhabi (EAD), in the Western region of Abu Dhabi Emirate.
Sheikh Hamdan said that the release of houbara bustards in UAE is an important part of Abu Dhabi strategy, which was based on vision, and pilot initiatives launched by the late father Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan and directives of the President His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan. This strategy supports eradication of houbara poaching, management of hunting activities and management of wild populations as well as captive breeding of houbara for restocking depleted populations, reinforcement and re-introduction houbara in suitable habitats.
Sheikh Hamdan added that in line with this strategy to increase the number of houbaras in the wild, NARC focuses on restoring houbara population in the UAE's desert habitat, which is known as historic stopover and on the migration routes map of Asian Houbara Bustards.
The houbara that were selected for release were reared and prepared for the harsh conditions of their future desert environment. They were kept in large aviaries, where they develop their flying skills. They were fed with only natural food, such as alfalfa, meal worms, crickets and mice. Efforts were also made to reduce contact with humans. The houbara were then kept for a few weeks in aviaries on the release site to acclimatize and then released when food availability is presumably was its best.
Some of the released houbara were equipped with either radio or satellite transmitters, so that NARC ecologists can monitor them after release. Satellite tracking has shown that some of the released captive-bred Houbara moved up to 200 km away from their release site. One of them travelled for a few days to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia before returning to the UAE. A wild-born chick from a released female even travelled 600 km to Oman.
NARC, based in Suweihan in the Abu Dhabi Emirate, was established in 1989 and designated for research on houbara biology and conservation breeding. NARC aims to establish houbara populations in the UAE. Re-stocking depleted resident populations and re-establishing those that have gone extinct, by release of birds bred in captivity, is an integral part of their strategy for houbara conservation.
The first experimental releases began back in 2004 with only 5 houbara, and the numbers increased every year with 201released in 2009 and 350 projected for 2010, leading to a combined total 800 houbara that will have been released by the end of February 2010, in 13 different places in the emirates of Abu Dhabi and Dubai.
The first successful breeding in the wild occurred in spring 2007, by 3 females released in 2005. Two nests gave 4 chicks hatched in the wild and the third nest gave 2 chick hatched in captivity after the nest was abandoned. In 2008, 12 females nested in the wild, hatching 25 chicks. None of the females attempted to breed in 2009 presumably in relation to unsuitable local environmental conditions.
Sheikh Hamdan said that the release of houbara bustards in UAE is an important part of Abu Dhabi strategy, which was based on vision, and pilot initiatives launched by the late father Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan and directives of the President His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan. This strategy supports eradication of houbara poaching, management of hunting activities and management of wild populations as well as captive breeding of houbara for restocking depleted populations, reinforcement and re-introduction houbara in suitable habitats.
Sheikh Hamdan added that in line with this strategy to increase the number of houbaras in the wild, NARC focuses on restoring houbara population in the UAE's desert habitat, which is known as historic stopover and on the migration routes map of Asian Houbara Bustards.
The houbara that were selected for release were reared and prepared for the harsh conditions of their future desert environment. They were kept in large aviaries, where they develop their flying skills. They were fed with only natural food, such as alfalfa, meal worms, crickets and mice. Efforts were also made to reduce contact with humans. The houbara were then kept for a few weeks in aviaries on the release site to acclimatize and then released when food availability is presumably was its best.
Some of the released houbara were equipped with either radio or satellite transmitters, so that NARC ecologists can monitor them after release. Satellite tracking has shown that some of the released captive-bred Houbara moved up to 200 km away from their release site. One of them travelled for a few days to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia before returning to the UAE. A wild-born chick from a released female even travelled 600 km to Oman.
NARC, based in Suweihan in the Abu Dhabi Emirate, was established in 1989 and designated for research on houbara biology and conservation breeding. NARC aims to establish houbara populations in the UAE. Re-stocking depleted resident populations and re-establishing those that have gone extinct, by release of birds bred in captivity, is an integral part of their strategy for houbara conservation.
The first experimental releases began back in 2004 with only 5 houbara, and the numbers increased every year with 201released in 2009 and 350 projected for 2010, leading to a combined total 800 houbara that will have been released by the end of February 2010, in 13 different places in the emirates of Abu Dhabi and Dubai.
The first successful breeding in the wild occurred in spring 2007, by 3 females released in 2005. Two nests gave 4 chicks hatched in the wild and the third nest gave 2 chick hatched in captivity after the nest was abandoned. In 2008, 12 females nested in the wild, hatching 25 chicks. None of the females attempted to breed in 2009 presumably in relation to unsuitable local environmental conditions.
