Providing the Arabian oryx with a safe haven in the UAE isn't enough to ensure that the vulnerable species will thrive, according to a research project that assessed herds of the reintroduced species in the Dubai Desert Conservation Reserve.
After being declared extinct in the wild, an Arabian oryx wandering free in the deserts of the UAE is a remarkable enough sight.
But a team of researchers who tracked down a quarter of the 400 oryx estimated to be in the Emirates were looking beyond the mere presence of the vulnerable species.
They found that reintroducing the oryx into the safe haven of the Dubai Desert Conservation Reserve has not been enough to ensure their revitalisation and most of the 98 animals they saw were suffering from malnutrition.
The females were in worse condition than the males, which augured poorly for the species' prospects and prompted the management at the reserve to increase its supplemental feeding programme.
The observations were made by a team of international volunteers enlisted by Biosphere Expeditions, a non-profit organisation that arranges for amateur naturalists to conduct scientific surveys around the world.
Biosphere Expeditions' executive director, Matthias Hammer, said the volunteers bridged gaps in the resources of the reserve management, the Dubai Conservation Board, which has responsibility for the 225 square kilometre reserve.
"The Dubai Desert Conservation Reserve has monitored, managed and increased the oryx population since the creation of the reserve," he said.
"However, they lack the time and resources to do detailed body scoring over extended periods of time, which is where our volunteers come in and add real help and value.
"There has been a long drought, so poor body condition was known and not a surprise. The depth and breadth, however, was, and called for management action."
Besides assessing the condition of the oryx in the reserve, the aims of the expedition in late January included taking a sample of all the main species found there and to continue the work done by the first Biosphere Expedition there a year earlier.
The organisation has had a particular focus on the Arabian Peninsula. Other projects in the region include longitudinal studies of how the coral reefs of the Musandam Peninsula are coping with warmer and more saline conditions, and finding out how many of the critically endangered Arabian leopard live in south Oman.
For the expedition in the reserve, the other principal species they were investigating were the Gordon's wildcat and MacQueen's bustard.
Together with the oryx, the three are on the International Union for Conservation of Nature's red list of threatened species.
From the reserve's 225 sq km - nearly 5 per cent of Dubai's land area - the group focused on 42 grids of 4 sq km, using a combination of active observation by walking through the grids and passive methods such as motion-triggered remote cameras and live trapping.
There were only two definitive sightings of the reclusive Gordon's wildcat - captured on remote cameras - and none were captured in traps baited with sardines.
There was a provisional identification of other Gordon's wildcats from pawprints found near the baited traps, but there was no suggestion of feral domestic cats being present.
Dr Hammer said that finding had prompted the reserve's decision to enhance the population by introducing genetically pure, captive-bred Gordon's wildcats.
"This species is rare even in the reserve, and threatened, mainly by hybridisation with domestic cats," he said.
Bustard populations in the UAE have been declining through a combination of predation by traditional falconry and through loss of habitat.
An extensive live-breeding programme by the National Avian Research Centre is trying to reverse that trend and researchers at the reserve have found that many of the bustards released elsewhere in the UAE have migrated to the reserve.
Other species that were identified by the Biosphere Expedition team and deemed not to be at risk included mountain gazelles, sand gazelles and the Arabian red fox.
The goal of the reserve's managers is for the Arabian oryx to reach a similarly robust population. If it does, the species will have achieved a remarkable return from the brink of extinction.
The species once spanned the Arabian Peninsula and reached as far as Sinai and southern Iraq, but was declared extinct in the wild shortly before the UAE became a federation, the victim of a ready access to four-wheel-drive vehicles and rifles.
For a time it existed only in captive-breeding programmes spearheaded by Phoenix Zoo in Arizona.
But after successfully breeding in captivity, it was reintroduced into the Saudi Arabian desert in 1982. Now there are 1,000 oryx living in the wild in the UAE, Oman and Saudi Arabia, and up to 7,000 in captivity around the world.
Oryx were reintroduced to what was to become the Dubai Desert Conservation Reserve, the 27 sq km Al Maha Reserve, in 1999. Now the herds roaming free in the Emirates are split between the reserve and Sir Bani Yas, the late Sheikh Zayed's private island, a haven for at-risk species that has been dubbed an "Arabian Ark".
The oryx's recovery made it the only species that was extinct in the wild to have regained the status of being merely vulnerable.
But vulnerable does not mean safe, especially in the harsh environment of the UAE. The herds had shifted towards the north of the reserve, prompted by sustained drought, but a largely independent herd had established itself in the south.
The next phase of ensuring the oryx cope in the reserve is to fill in the gaps in knowledge of the species' behaviour, such as which habitats and plants they prefer, how the social structure of the herd operates and how the environment affects it.
Alongside that was the visual assessment of individual animals' condition, based on the presence or absence of musculature, fat deposition, spinal vertebrae and caudal vertebrae.
Body condition was scored on a numerical scale, with a score of three to four consistent with a healthy animal for the time of year, when many of the females would be pregnant.
But conditions ranged from one to three, with an average of 2.3, which was described as "represents general malnutrition". Adult females scored lower than adult males, with an average of 2.2.
The lowest score was recorded twice, in the case of single oryx. The biggest herd was 25 but only a handful of juveniles and no calves were recorded, probably reflecting the poor condition of the herds. Next year's expedition is already aiming to see how the intervention of the reserve managers will affect the oryx's condition year on year.
This year's volunteers came from Britain, Russia, Austria and Germany and paid Dh5,640, excluding flights to the UAE, to take part in the eight-day expedition.
Dr Hammer said they were a mix of "seasoned expeditioners and greenhorns".
"The feedback is overwhelmingly positive and some of the greenhorns have now caught the bug and have already signed up for other expeditions with us in other parts of the world," he said.
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Director: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham, Rachel Szor, Hamdan Ballal
Stars: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham
Rating: 3.5/5
No more lice
Defining head lice
Pediculus humanus capitis are tiny wingless insects that feed on blood from the human scalp. The adult head louse is up to 3mm long, has six legs, and is tan to greyish-white in colour. The female lives up to four weeks and, once mature, can lay up to 10 eggs per day. These tiny nits firmly attach to the base of the hair shaft, get incubated by body heat and hatch in eight days or so.
Identifying lice
Lice can be identified by itching or a tickling sensation of something moving within the hair. One can confirm that a person has lice by looking closely through the hair and scalp for nits, nymphs or lice. Head lice are most frequently located behind the ears and near the neckline.
Treating lice at home
Head lice must be treated as soon as they are spotted. Start by checking everyone in the family for them, then follow these steps. Remove and wash all clothing and bedding with hot water. Apply medicine according to the label instructions. If some live lice are still found eight to 12 hours after treatment, but are moving more slowly than before, do not re-treat. Comb dead and remaining live lice out of the hair using a fine-toothed comb.
After the initial treatment, check for, comb and remove nits and lice from hair every two to three days. Soak combs and brushes in hot water for 10 minutes.Vacuum the floor and furniture, particularly where the infested person sat or lay.
Courtesy Dr Vishal Rajmal Mehta, specialist paediatrics, RAK Hospital
Ms Yang's top tips for parents new to the UAE
- Join parent networks
- Look beyond school fees
- Keep an open mind
If you go...
Etihad Airways flies from Abu Dhabi to Kuala Lumpur, from about Dh3,600. Air Asia currently flies from Kuala Lumpur to Terengganu, with Berjaya Hotels & Resorts planning to launch direct chartered flights to Redang Island in the near future. Rooms at The Taaras Beach and Spa Resort start from 680RM (Dh597).
Countdown to Zero exhibition will show how disease can be beaten
Countdown to Zero: Defeating Disease, an international multimedia exhibition created by the American Museum of National History in collaboration with The Carter Center, will open in Abu Dhabi a month before Reaching the Last Mile.
Opening on October 15 and running until November 15, the free exhibition opens at The Galleria mall on Al Maryah Island, and has already been seen at the Jimmy Carter Presidential Library and Museum in Atlanta, the American Museum of Natural History in New York, and the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine.
The rules on fostering in the UAE
A foster couple or family must:
- be Muslim, Emirati and be residing in the UAE
- not be younger than 25 years old
- not have been convicted of offences or crimes involving moral turpitude
- be free of infectious diseases or psychological and mental disorders
- have the ability to support its members and the foster child financially
- undertake to treat and raise the child in a proper manner and take care of his or her health and well-being
- A single, divorced or widowed Muslim Emirati female, residing in the UAE may apply to foster a child if she is at least 30 years old and able to support the child financially
Anghami
Started: December 2011
Co-founders: Elie Habib, Eddy Maroun
Based: Beirut and Dubai
Sector: Entertainment
Size: 85 employees
Stage: Series C
Investors: MEVP, du, Mobily, MBC, Samena Capital
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Mercer, the investment consulting arm of US services company Marsh & McLennan, expects its wealth division to at least double its assets under management (AUM) in the Middle East as wealth in the region continues to grow despite economic headwinds, a company official said.
Mercer Wealth, which globally has $160 billion in AUM, plans to boost its AUM in the region to $2-$3bn in the next 2-3 years from the present $1bn, said Yasir AbuShaban, a Dubai-based principal with Mercer Wealth.
“Within the next two to three years, we are looking at reaching $2 to $3 billion as a conservative estimate and we do see an opportunity to do so,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Mercer does not directly make investments, but allocates clients’ money they have discretion to, to professional asset managers. They also provide advice to clients.
“We have buying power. We can negotiate on their (client’s) behalf with asset managers to provide them lower fees than they otherwise would have to get on their own,” he added.
Mercer Wealth’s clients include sovereign wealth funds, family offices, and insurance companies among others.
From its office in Dubai, Mercer also looks after Africa, India and Turkey, where they also see opportunity for growth.
Wealth creation in Middle East and Africa (MEA) grew 8.5 per cent to $8.1 trillion last year from $7.5tn in 2015, higher than last year’s global average of 6 per cent and the second-highest growth in a region after Asia-Pacific which grew 9.9 per cent, according to consultancy Boston Consulting Group (BCG). In the region, where wealth grew just 1.9 per cent in 2015 compared with 2014, a pickup in oil prices has helped in wealth generation.
BCG is forecasting MEA wealth will rise to $12tn by 2021, growing at an annual average of 8 per cent.
Drivers of wealth generation in the region will be split evenly between new wealth creation and growth of performance of existing assets, according to BCG.
Another general trend in the region is clients’ looking for a comprehensive approach to investing, according to Mr AbuShaban.
“Institutional investors or some of the families are seeing a slowdown in the available capital they have to invest and in that sense they are looking at optimizing the way they manage their portfolios and making sure they are not investing haphazardly and different parts of their investment are working together,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Some clients also have a higher appetite for risk, given the low interest-rate environment that does not provide enough yield for some institutional investors. These clients are keen to invest in illiquid assets, such as private equity and infrastructure.
“What we have seen is a desire for higher returns in what has been a low-return environment specifically in various fixed income or bonds,” he said.
“In this environment, we have seen a de facto increase in the risk that clients are taking in things like illiquid investments, private equity investments, infrastructure and private debt, those kind of investments were higher illiquidity results in incrementally higher returns.”
The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, one of the largest sovereign wealth funds, said in its 2016 report that has gradually increased its exposure in direct private equity and private credit transactions, mainly in Asian markets and especially in China and India. The authority’s private equity department focused on structured equities owing to “their defensive characteristics.”
The National's picks
4.35pm: Tilal Al Khalediah
5.10pm: Continous
5.45pm: Raging Torrent
6.20pm: West Acre
7pm: Flood Zone
7.40pm: Straight No Chaser
8.15pm: Romantic Warrior
8.50pm: Calandogan
9.30pm: Forever Young
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The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre flat-six
Torque: 450Nm at 6,100rpm
Transmission: 7-speed PDK auto or 6-speed manual
Fuel economy, combined: 13.8L/100km
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Most wanted allegations
- Benjamin Macann, 32: involvement in cocaine smuggling gang.
- Jack Mayle, 30: sold drugs from a phone line called the Flavour Quest.
- Callum Halpin, 27: over the 2018 murder of a rival drug dealer.
- Asim Naveed, 29: accused of being the leader of a gang that imported cocaine.
- Calvin Parris, 32: accused of buying cocaine from Naveed and selling it on.
- John James Jones, 31: allegedly stabbed two people causing serious injuries.
- Callum Michael Allan, 23: alleged drug dealing and assaulting an emergency worker.
- Dean Garforth, 29: part of a crime gang that sold drugs and guns.
- Joshua Dillon Hendry, 30: accused of trafficking heroin and crack cocain.
- Mark Francis Roberts, 28: grievous bodily harm after a bungled attempt to steal a £60,000 watch.
- James ‘Jamie’ Stevenson, 56: for arson and over the seizure of a tonne of cocaine.
- Nana Oppong, 41: shot a man eight times in a suspected gangland reprisal attack.
Specs
Engine: Dual-motor all-wheel-drive electric
Range: Up to 610km
Power: 905hp
Torque: 985Nm
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THE LOWDOWN
Romeo Akbar Walter
Rating: 2/5 stars
Produced by: Dharma Productions, Azure Entertainment
Directed by: Robby Grewal
Cast: John Abraham, Mouni Roy, Jackie Shroff and Sikandar Kher
In numbers: PKK’s money network in Europe
Germany: PKK collectors typically bring in $18 million in cash a year – amount has trebled since 2010
Revolutionary tax: Investigators say about $2 million a year raised from ‘tax collection’ around Marseille
Extortion: Gunman convicted in 2023 of demanding $10,000 from Kurdish businessman in Stockholm
Drug trade: PKK income claimed by Turkish anti-drugs force in 2024 to be as high as $500 million a year
Denmark: PKK one of two terrorist groups along with Iranian separatists ASMLA to raise “two-digit million amounts”
Contributions: Hundreds of euros expected from typical Kurdish families and thousands from business owners
TV channel: Kurdish Roj TV accounts frozen and went bankrupt after Denmark fined it more than $1 million over PKK links in 2013
Ant-Man and the Wasp
Director: Peyton Reed
Starring: Paul Rudd, Evangeline Lilly, Michael Douglas
Three stars
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cylinder turbo
Power: 240hp at 5,500rpm
Torque: 390Nm at 3,000rpm
Transmission: eight-speed auto
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The specs
Engine: 1.5-litre turbo
Power: 181hp
Torque: 230Nm
Transmission: 6-speed automatic
Starting price: Dh79,000
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'The Batman'
Stars:Robert Pattinson
Director:Matt Reeves
Rating: 5/5
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