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| Sunday, 18 April 2004 |
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Features |  |
| News Business Features Editorial
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Al Maha Oryx move to new pastures The release of 23 Arabian Oryx into the newly-created Dubai Desert Conservation Reserve (DDCR) recently marked a historic turning point in protecting the Emirates natural heritage and wildlife. The elegant desert antelope, reintroduced into the wild in 1999 as part of a conservation project at Emirates' Al Maha Desert Resort and Spa, have been breeding successfully and have established a substantial population. Now the first 23 have been released into the 225 sq km kilometre DDCR, which protects nearly five per cent of Dubai's total land. There to record the event was a camera crew from Britain's BBC TV and renowned British photographer Lord Lichfield, who is working on a new book with Motivate Publishing due for release next year. The DDCR, established last year, is protected by a new conservation law signed recently under Ruler's Decree, making it the country's first permanently-protected reserve and largest wildlife sanctuary in the United Arab Emirates. After coming dangerously near extinction, Arabian Oryx are breeding fast, and today more than 2,000 live in the UAE alone, says a press release from Emirates. Al Maha also protects a second, and much rarer, species - the Scimitar-horned Oryx. Only 36 of these are found at Al Maha, all carefully tended by its Field Guides and Conservation Officers. Al Maha's own herd of Arabian Oryx, now numbering more than 200, have been breeding successfully over the years, and will be progressively released into the surrounding DDCR. Eventually all types of animals living in the area will be released into the reserve, but meanwhile Al Maha conservationists are carrying out vegetation studies to determine the total carrying capacity of the newly-expanded site, and stepping up wildlife security and monitoring. |
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