48 houbara bustards released in Ras Al Khaimah

Shaikh Mohammed bin Saud bin Saqr Al Qasimi, Crown Prince of Ras Al Khaimah, on Friday witnessed the release of 48 captive-bred houbara bustards in the Banyan Tree Al Wadi, by the Ras Al Khaimah Environmental Protection and Development Authority (EPDA-RAK) in collaboration with the International Fund for Houbara Conservation (IFHC).

Shaikh Mohammed bin Saud releases the first captive-bred houbara bustard at the Banyan Tree Al Wadi, Ras Al Khaimah. — Wam

Shaikh Mohammed bin Saud released the first bird, which is fitted with a satellite transmitter, as part of the President, His Highness Shaikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan’s Houbara Reintroduction Project in the UAE and Arabian Peninsula to restore a sustainable wild population of the bird, synonymous with local culture and traditions of the UAE.

The move also underscores the importance attached by His Highness Shaikh Saud bin Saqr Al Qasimi, Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Ras Al Khaimah, to environmental issues.

The release of the birds is part of the EPDA-RAK’s strategy to restore and increase the bird’s population, relocate them in the emirate and to protect the environment.

Dr Saif Mohammed Al Ghais, Executive Director of the EPDA-RAK, said the omnivorous bird, which takes seeds, insects and other small creatures, is considered an icon of the Arabian deserts and is widely prized in Arabia as a quarry for falconers.

The houbara bustard is found in South Asia, Arabia, Saudi Arabia, Africa (Egypt, Algeria, Tunisia, Libya and Morocco) and parts of Western Europe.

• UAE