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IFHC to leverage case in falconer education drive as fight against illegal houbara smuggling ramps up
Abu Dhabi: Eleven Asian Houbara rescued in January after a failed smuggling attempt on the UAE’s border with Oman have been successfully released back into the wild by the International Fund for Houbara Conservation (IFHC), the global leader in pre-emptive species conservation.
Following extensive medical examinations to assess potential contagious diseases and 8 weeks of rehabilitation at IFHC quarantine in Abu Dhabi, the houbara were released in two groups in the Cholistan Desert in Pakistan on March 22. All 11 birds have been fitted with GPS trackers to monitor their movement.
The first group of five female Asian Houbara were released in Rahimyar approximately 120 kilometres from the country’s eastern border with India, while a second group comprising five females and a single male were released approximately 40 kilometres south of the city of Khanpur. Three weeks since their release, the bustards’ GPS trackers indicate all 11 houbara are alive and well after rejoining the species’ annual migratory route north.
“Thanks to the swift action of UAE Customs and the expert rehabilitation work of our scientific team, the 11 Asian Houbara have been saved and released with no impact on the UAE’s delicate ecosystem,” said His Excellency Majid Ali Al Mansouri, IFHC’s Managing Director.
“The release location in Pakistan was handpicked to give the bustards the best chance of rejoining their migratory route and we thank our conservation partners in Pakistan for their fast response and professionalism in helping the Fund release the rescued bustards.”
With smuggled houbara typically suffering tremendous stress from capture and illicit transportation, IFHC data show that only one in 10 wild houbara survives being smuggled across the UAE border. It is also common for smuggled bustards to carry diseases which can have serious sanitary and health implications to falcons that hunt them and fauna in the wider eco-system.
As part of IFHC’s ongoing education efforts with the UAE and wider GCC falconry community, the Fund is engaging falconers to highlight the illegal trade’s role in the historic decline of houbara populations.
Al Mansouri revealed IFHC will use the rescued 11 Asian Houbara as a case study to educate falconers on the dangers that illegally sourced houbara pose to traditional Arabian falconry.
“Smuggled houbara pose a great danger to the falconry community,” added Al Mansouri. “Had these birds been sick and carried diseases into the eco-system, there would have been a significant risk to prized falcons who can contract fatal infections hunting sick houbara. We will use this case as a deterrent to the regional falconry community.”
In addition to sanitary and health risks to falcons, fauna and the wider eco-system, smuggling houbara also carries serious legal ramifications. Under UAE Law No. 11/2002, which relates to the smuggling of endangered animals, convicted smugglers face a potential fine of AED 20,000 to 50,000, and imprisonment for a period not exceeding six months.
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About International Fund for Houbara Conservation (IFHC):
Initiated by the late Sheikh Zayed, Abu Dhabi undertook a programme to restore the endangered houbara bustard. A global conservation strategy was developed and then implemented over the past forty years with the objective of ensuring the species has a sustainable future in the wild through effective and appropriate conservation programmes and management plans. From 1995, the conservation strategy adopted, which consisted of an integrated approach combining sound ecology, protection measures in the wild, conservation breeding and reinforcement programmers. IHFC was created in 2006 to take the original programme further by managing international assets and securing partnerships across the range of the houbara that encourage sustainable practices to ensure the conservation of houbara.
The website of the International Fund for Houbara Conservation: www.houbarafund.org
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