UAE releases 100 houbara bustards in Uzbekistan

Abu Dhabi, June 14, 2011 (WAM) - Emirates Centre for Wildlife Propagation (ECWP) has released 100 captive-bred houbara bustards into the wild of Bukhara in Uzbekistan as part of a programme to release 350 birds.
HH Lt. General Sheikh Saif bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior said the move underscores President His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan's unstinted support for conservation of the environment and heritage. ''The release of the bird forms an important component of the UAE civilisational and humanitarian strategy based on the far-sighted vision and forward environmental initiatives of the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan. We are proud today that these birds will never extinct and their population are increasing rapidly,'' he added.
The birds were fitted with satellite transmitters to monitor their journey and adaptation to natural habitats.
The UAE Houbara Captive Breeding programme aims at propagating the bird in captivity so as to increase their population. - Emirates News Agency, WAM