ABU DHABI: The International Fund for Houbara Conservation (IFHC),the global leader in pre-emptive species conservation, has released 48 Houbara in the wild in Al Ain to mark the 48th UAE National Day.
IFHC partnered with the Ministry of Education (MoE), Sheikh Mohamed Bin Zayed Falconry and Desert Physiognomy School (FDPS), Zayed Higher Organization for People of Determination (ZHO), Al Ain Zoo and participating schools to release the birds at the Telal Resort in Al Ain.
The annual release of the Houbara, which were bred at the IFHC breeding facility in Abu Dhabi is the latest step in the Fund’s mission to rebalance wild populations across the Houbara migration range, which spans from Northeast Asia through Central Asia, the Middle East and North Africa, while continuing to raise awareness of the Houbara, its habitat and importance to the ecosystem through conservation education.
Each one of the 48 birds is fitted with numbered rings on their legs,enabling IFHC’s team of scientists to identify the captive-bred Houbara in the wild. The rings fitted to the Houbara carry the four colours of the UAE flag: green, white, black and red.
“IFHC is dedicated to realising the vision of our founding father, the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, who initiated the Houbara programme in the late 1970s to rebalance wild populations of the Houbara. Our annual bird release allows us to pay tribute to Sheikh Zayed, mark a special day in the country’s history, and continue our conservation education effiorts,” said Mohammed Saleh Hassan Al Baidani,Director General at IFHC.
“We thank our partners and supporters for their commitment to help the Fund create the conservation leaders of tomorrow. Events such as this are designed to engage and demonstrate how people can play their part in conservation in line with the development of our proud nation.”
Elsewhere,IFHC participated in another National Day activations, including the Executive Office National Day Exhibit, which took place at Khalifa Park and featured key entities such as Abu Dhabi Executive Office, Department of Finance Statistics Center, Abu Dhabi Digital Authority, Thaman and Abu Dhabi Court, with an aim to raise awareness of the Fund’s ongoing efforts in conservation education. News Desk
