Saturday: October 1st, 2011:
UAE releases 500 Houbara Bustards into their natural habitat in the Algerian Wilaya of El Bayadh
The Emirates Bird Breeding Center for Conservation released 500 Houbara Bustards last week into the desert close to a nature reserve near Brezina, in the Wilaya of El Bayadh. The first release of birds was attended by Mr Jawaan Al Khaili, Chairman of the Center, and Professor Nigel Collar from BirdLife
International. Several Government agencies were also present including the Directorate General of Forests, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, officials from the Wilaya of El Bayadh, academic institutions and local hunting associations Mr Jawaan Al Khaili stressed the center’s commitment in helping to provide all suitable conditions that contribute to conserving and increasing the numbers of Houbara Bustards, especially in their original habitats.
International. Several Government agencies were also present including the Directorate General of Forests, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, officials from the Wilaya of El Bayadh, academic institutions and local hunting associations Mr Jawaan Al Khaili stressed the center’s commitment in helping to provide all suitable conditions that contribute to conserving and increasing the numbers of Houbara Bustards, especially in their original habitats.
He said that Algeria is part of the range of the sub-species Chlamydotis undulata undulata. The center was established in order to breed Houbara Bustards in captivity for release back into the wild, and is a partnership between the Directorate General of Forests in Algeria and the Emirates Bird Breeding Center for Conservation.He stated that the center was releasing a total of 500 birds in stages, and that several areas had been chosen for this purpose.
The center identified the best locations based on its studies which focused on the availability of natural food, disturbance and predation. These factors and others have to be taken into consideration in order to give the birds the optimum chance of survival in the wild.Mr Jawaan Al Khaili said that hunting is part of the traditional heritage for many Arab countries, especially those in the Gulf, and the UAE is one of those.
Therefore the Emirates Bird Breeding Center for Conservation is currently preparing with BirdLife International a draft agreement to study the natural environment and populations of the Houbara, in order to implement ideas and strategies that can increase their numbers in the wild.