Until a conservation organisation began searching for it, Lynch’s Colombian tree frog had not been seen for 36 years and was feared to be extinct.
But thanks to an intensive nine-month search, supported by the Mohamed bin Zayed Species Conservation Fund, the creature was rediscovered in 2022 by the ProAves conservation group in the eastern Andes of Colombia.
For Sara Ines Lara, who worked as a civil engineer before founding and running ProAves, finding the critically endangered species again was a source of delight.
"It was the best feeling you can have as a conservationist … when we found it, your heart wants to explode with joy," she said.
"There’s hope that nature is there, waiting for us to help and encouraging us to continue with our work."
Worldwide support
The MBZ Species Conservation Fund has supported hundreds of projects around the world with grants targeted at protecting individual species.
Running for several years, ProAves’s work to find and protect the tree frog is part of a separate $4.5 million scheme run by the fund and financed by Mubadala, Abu Dhabi's sovereign fund, to support 10 projects.
ProAves is starting on two other projects in Colombia, involving the Colombian oak and the mountain grackle bird, while the remaining seven are in Indonesia, Thailand and Guinea.
"Thanks to the grant from the MBZ Species Conservation Fund and the support of Mubadala, we deployed a research team to try to find the frog where there were records before," Ms Ines Lara said.
"That took a long time and multiple attempts. After nearly a year it was rediscovered, so far just at a single site – multiple individuals in a very small area. What we want to continue to do is to try to locate more sites."
The area where the tree frog was found covers no more than 30 square metres and is at a higher elevation than the animal’s original habitat, leading ProAves to believe it has moved up to cooler areas due to climate change. Deforestation, another threat, means there is little habitat left for the animal.
Educating communities
A key priority has been to educate the local community on the importance of conserving the species.
"We started with the landowner and educated him and his whole family," Ms Ines Lara said. "It’s very important to have the rural community engaged at all levels. They’re safeguarding the frog now that they know how unique and important it is."
The group is working with local authorities and educating the wider community about the importance of conservation, with the ultimate goal of establishing a regional park to offer lasting protection.
Colombia was blighted for many years by armed conflict and while improvements in the security situation in recent years have been welcomed, they have potential consequences for nature, Ms Ines Lara said, because there is now more investment and development.
"Unfortunately this development, a lot doesn’t take into consideration how important some of these habitats are," Ms Ines Lara said.
Another challenge is climate change, with water in creeks in the dry season falling to lower levels than many species are used to.
Ms Ines Lara, who is also the founder of Women for Conservation, which supports women working to protect wildlife and habitats, was recently in Abu Dhabi to take part in the World Environmental Education Conference.
Another participant was Dr Lucy Keith-Diagne, of the African Aquatic Conservation Fund (AACF), an organisation that runs another of the MBZ Species Conservation Fund and Mubadala projects.
The hunt for the African manatee
Dr Keith-Diagne, an American based in Senegal who is executive director of the AACF, is co-ordinating efforts to better understand where the African manatee is living in Guinea.
Manatees have been a lifelong love of Dr Keith-Diagne: as a child growing up in New Jersey in the north-east of the US, she learnt about the animals at school and came home to tell her parents that she would one day work to save them.
She was true to her word, completing a doctorate on Florida manatees before deciding she could make her biggest impact in West Africa, where the African manatee is found across many countries and habitats – near the coast, in flooded rainforests, in mangrove channels, and in rivers and lakes of the Sahel.
In the interior of Guinea, manatees are often not hunted because local people believe the animals were once human. But their existence is threatened by proposed dams, which could restrict their ability to move to deeper waters during the dry season.
Particularly on the coast, dangers include illegal hunting, mangrove destruction, pollution, industrial activity and being caught unintentionally by fishing vessels, known as by-catch.
"The coastal populations need urgent help; they’re being decimated by some of these threats," Dr Keith-Diagne said.
Determining where populations are living is essential to conservation efforts but Guinea has "been something of a black hole for manatee research".
Also, the animals – relatives of the dugong, which is found in UAE waters – are not easy to study: until a recent sighting, Dr Keith-Diagne had not seen a live, free-swimming manatee for about three years.
However, advances in technology, notably in genetics, mean it is now possible to determine whether manatees are present in an area by analysing water samples. In future it may even be able to estimate population sizes from water samples.
Looking at genetic differences can also indicate whether manatees in different areas are separated or are one large population.
In Guinea, as elsewhere in West Africa, formal records of where the animals are found are lacking, a trait the project aims to change.
In 2021, a total of 13 trainees were taken on as part of a three-year fellowship. Individually or in pairs, they have been learning as much as possible about manatees in a particular area, often by carrying out interviews with locals.
"What I wanted to do was train up a bunch of researchers who worked closely and made trust-building relationships with local communities so that they would learn from and work with them," Dr Keith-Diagne said.
"They’ve assessed all the threats … we’ve now discovered manatees in five new rivers. No one has documented it before."
The aim has been to understand what the problems for manatees are and what could be done to help them – and to take this knowledge to the government to secure better protection.
Getting the message across
The AACF aims to encourage the government to, for example, stop illegal killing and mangrove cutting on the coast. The organisation also plans TV and radio public-service announcements to educate the population about the animals.
Dr Keith-Diagne has been "so impressed" with the 13 fellowship recipients' achievements and hopes they will spearhead efforts to conserve the manatees in their home country.
"I want them to take over this project and lead it," she said. "Manatees are somewhat of a canary in the coal mine for freshwater systems. They’re not going to live in a highly polluted system. They’re indicators for other species as well – for fish and other river dwellers."
Razan Al Mubarak, founding managing director of the MBZ Species Conservation Fund, said the preservation of the African manatee and the Lynch’s Colombian tree frog was "not just about saving these remarkable species".
"It’s about maintaining the balance of ecosystems where every creature plays a pivotal role," she said.
"These initiatives shine a light on the urgent need for conservation in areas facing severe threats, highlighting how interconnected our global biodiversity is."
It is "imperative" that action is taken now to safeguard these species and ensure a healthier planet for future generations, she added.
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The specs
- Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
- Power: 640hp
- Torque: 760nm
- On sale: 2026
- Price: Not announced yet
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Scoreline
Chelsea 1
Azpilicueta (36')
West Ham United 1
Hernandez (73')
David Haye record
Total fights: 32
Wins: 28
Wins by KO: 26
Losses: 4
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Some of Darwish's last words
"They see their tomorrows slipping out of their reach. And though it seems to them that everything outside this reality is heaven, yet they do not want to go to that heaven. They stay, because they are afflicted with hope." - Mahmoud Darwish, to attendees of the Palestine Festival of Literature, 2008
His life in brief: Born in a village near Galilee, he lived in exile for most of his life and started writing poetry after high school. He was arrested several times by Israel for what were deemed to be inciteful poems. Most of his work focused on the love and yearning for his homeland, and he was regarded the Palestinian poet of resistance. Over the course of his life, he published more than 30 poetry collections and books of prose, with his work translated into more than 20 languages. Many of his poems were set to music by Arab composers, most significantly Marcel Khalife. Darwish died on August 9, 2008 after undergoing heart surgery in the United States. He was later buried in Ramallah where a shrine was erected in his honour.
Match info
What: Fifa Club World Cup play-off
Who: Al Ain v Team Wellington
Where: Hazza bin Zayed Stadium, Al Ain
When: Wednesday, kick off 7.30pm
Specs
Engine: 51.5kW electric motor
Range: 400km
Power: 134bhp
Torque: 175Nm
Price: From Dh98,800
Available: Now
Tearful appearance
Chancellor Rachel Reeves set markets on edge as she appeared visibly distraught in parliament on Wednesday.
Legislative setbacks for the government have blown a new hole in the budgetary calculations at a time when the deficit is stubbornly large and the economy is struggling to grow.
She appeared with Keir Starmer on Thursday and the pair embraced, but he had failed to give her his backing as she cried a day earlier.
A spokesman said her upset demeanour was due to a personal matter.
At a glance
Global events: Much of the UK’s economic woes were blamed on “increased global uncertainty”, which can be interpreted as the economic impact of the Ukraine war and the uncertainty over Donald Trump’s tariffs.
Growth forecasts: Cut for 2025 from 2 per cent to 1 per cent. The OBR watchdog also estimated inflation will average 3.2 per cent this year
Welfare: Universal credit health element cut by 50 per cent and frozen for new claimants, building on cuts to the disability and incapacity bill set out earlier this month
Spending cuts: Overall day-to day-spending across government cut by £6.1bn in 2029-30
Tax evasion: Steps to crack down on tax evasion to raise “£6.5bn per year” for the public purse
Defence: New high-tech weaponry, upgrading HM Naval Base in Portsmouth
Housing: Housebuilding to reach its highest in 40 years, with planning reforms helping generate an extra £3.4bn for public finances
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
MORE ON THE US DEMOCRATIC PRIMARIES
Gothia Cup 2025
4,872 matches
1,942 teams
116 pitches
76 nations
26 UAE teams
15 Lebanese teams
2 Kuwaiti teams
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Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Match info
Uefa Champions League Group H
Juventus v Valencia, Tuesday, midnight (UAE)
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Company profile
Date started: 2015
Founder: John Tsioris and Ioanna Angelidaki
Based: Dubai
Sector: Online grocery delivery
Staff: 200
Funding: Undisclosed, but investors include the Jabbar Internet Group and Venture Friends
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
Keep it fun and engaging
Stuart Ritchie, director of wealth advice at AES International, says children cannot learn something overnight, so it helps to have a fun routine that keeps them engaged and interested.
“I explain to my daughter that the money I draw from an ATM or the money on my bank card doesn’t just magically appear – it’s money I have earned from my job. I show her how this works by giving her little chores around the house so she can earn pocket money,” says Mr Ritchie.
His daughter is allowed to spend half of her pocket money, while the other half goes into a bank account. When this money hits a certain milestone, Mr Ritchie rewards his daughter with a small lump sum.
He also recommends books that teach the importance of money management for children, such as The Squirrel Manifesto by Ric Edelman and Jean Edelman.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Traits of Chinese zodiac animals
Tiger:independent, successful, volatile
Rat:witty, creative, charming
Ox:diligent, perseverent, conservative
Rabbit:gracious, considerate, sensitive
Dragon:prosperous, brave, rash
Snake:calm, thoughtful, stubborn
Horse:faithful, energetic, carefree
Sheep:easy-going, peacemaker, curious
Monkey:family-orientated, clever, playful
Rooster:honest, confident, pompous
Dog:loyal, kind, perfectionist
Boar:loving, tolerant, indulgent
So what is Spicy Chickenjoy?
Just as McDonald’s has the Big Mac, Jollibee has Spicy Chickenjoy – a piece of fried chicken that’s crispy and spicy on the outside and comes with a side of spaghetti, all covered in tomato sauce and topped with sausage slices and ground beef. It sounds like a recipe that a child would come up with, but perhaps that’s the point – a flavourbomb combination of cheap comfort foods. Chickenjoy is Jollibee’s best-selling product in every country in which it has a presence.
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How to get there
Emirates (www.emirates.com) flies directly to Hanoi, Vietnam, with fares starting from around Dh2,725 return, while Etihad (www.etihad.com) fares cost about Dh2,213 return with a stop. Chuong is 25 kilometres south of Hanoi.
Haircare resolutions 2021
From Beirut and Amman to London and now Dubai, hairstylist George Massoud has seen the same mistakes made by customers all over the world. In the chair or at-home hair care, here are the resolutions he wishes his customers would make for the year ahead.
1. 'I will seek consultation from professionals'
You may know what you want, but are you sure it’s going to suit you? Haircare professionals can tell you what will work best with your skin tone, hair texture and lifestyle.
2. 'I will tell my hairdresser when I’m not happy'
Massoud says it’s better to offer constructive criticism to work on in the future. Your hairdresser will learn, and you may discover how to communicate exactly what you want more effectively the next time.
3. ‘I will treat my hair better out of the chair’
Damage control is a big part of most hairstylists’ work right now, but it can be avoided. Steer clear of over-colouring at home, try and pursue one hair brand at a time and never, ever use a straightener on still drying hair, pleads Massoud.
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Election pledges on migration
CDU: "Now is the time to control the German borders and enforce strict border rejections"
SPD: "Border closures and blanket rejections at internal borders contradict the spirit of a common area of freedom"
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Almnssa
Started: August 2020
Founder: Areej Selmi
Based: Gaza
Sectors: Internet, e-commerce
Investments: Grants/private funding
The five pillars of Islam
Our family matters legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
Why the Tourist Club?
Originally, The Club (which many people chose to call the “British Club”) was the only place where one could use the beach with changing rooms and a shower, and get refreshments.
In the early 1970s, the Government of Abu Dhabi wanted to give more people a place to get together on the beach, with some facilities for children. The place chosen was where the annual boat race was held, which Sheikh Zayed always attended and which brought crowds of locals and expatriates to the stretch of beach to the left of Le Méridien and the Marina.
It started with a round two-storey building, erected in about two weeks by Orient Contracting for Sheikh Zayed to use at one these races. Soon many facilities were planned and built, and members were invited to join.
Why it was called “Nadi Al Siyahi” is beyond me. But it is likely that one wanted to convey the idea that this was open to all comers. Because there was no danger of encountering alcohol on the premises, unlike at The Club, it was a place in particular for the many Arab expatriate civil servants to join. Initially the fees were very low and membership was offered free to many people, too.
Eventually there was a skating rink, bowling and many other amusements.
Frauke Heard-Bey is a historian and has lived in Abu Dhabi since 1968.
