An Indian crested porcupine, which was first reported as having been discovered in the UAE last month, has now been spotted in Fujairah.
The Indian crested porcupine, Hystrix Indica, is a large rodent with a coat of sharp spines, or quills, to protect it against predators. It is commonly found throughout south-west and central Asia and in parts of the Middle East.
The species is listed by the International Union for Conservation of Nature as at "least concern" from extinction, but because this is one of the few times it has been recorded in the UAE it could be listed as "threatened" on a country level.
The Indian crested porcupine was discovered at about 600 kilometres beyond its known range, by camera traps placed at the park.
The discovery was followed by a social survey in villages surrounding the park, with sightings of the porcupine confirmed in 11 locations.
The Indian porcupine has a mostly herbivorous diet, explaining their presence, as the park is surrounded by farms.
The director general of Fujairah Municipality, Mohammed Al Afkham, said the discovery was significant.
Fujairah Municipality was the first in the country to adopt a systematic monitoring approach using camera traps.
The network of 100 traps is maintained by park rangers.
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Date of launch: November 2018
Founder: Monark Modi
Based: Business Bay, Dubai
Sector: Financial services
Size: Eight employees
Investors: Self-funded to date with $1m of personal savings
The specs
Engine: four-litre V6 and 3.5-litre V6 twin-turbo
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Price: from Dh229,900 to Dh355,000
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A foster couple or family must:
- be Muslim, Emirati and be residing in the UAE
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Director: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham, Rachel Szor, Hamdan Ballal
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Favourite book: Peter Rabbit. I used to read it to my three children and still read it myself. If I am feeling down it brings back good memories.
Best thing about your job: Getting to help people. My mum always told me never to pass up an opportunity to do a good deed.
Best part of life in the UAE: The weather. The constant sunshine is amazing and there is always something to do, you have so many options when it comes to how to spend your day.
Favourite holiday destination: Malaysia. I went there for my honeymoon and ended up volunteering to teach local children for a few hours each day. It is such a special place and I plan to retire there one day.
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On sale: now
