More than 1,400 iguanas have been reintroduced to a Galapagos island about two centuries after they disappeared from there.
The Galapagos land iguanas from North Seymour Island were released on Santiago Island as part of an ecological restoration programme.
The last recorded sighting of iguanas in Santiago Island had been made by British naturalist Charles Darwin in 1835.
"Almost two centuries later, this ecosystem will once again count on this species through the restoration initiative," the National Galapagos Park authority said.
Its director, Jorge Carrion, said the iguanas became extinct due to the introduction of non-native predators such as the feral pig, which was eradicated in 2001.
The programme is also aimed at protecting the population of iguanas on North Seymour, said to number about 5,000, where food is limited.
"The land iguana is a herbivore that helps ecosystems by dispersing seeds and maintaining open spaces devoid of vegetation," said Danny Rueda, the park authority's ecosystems director.
The Galapagos archipelago, about 1,000 kilometres from the Ecuador coast, contains unique wildlife and vegetation, and is a Unesco World Heritage site. But it has one of the most fragile ecosystems in the world.
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SPECS
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Torque: 850Nm
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UAE and Russia in numbers
UAE-Russia ties stretch back 48 years
Trade between the UAE and Russia reached Dh12.5 bn in 2018
More than 3,000 Russian companies are registered in the UAE
Around 40,000 Russians live in the UAE
The number of Russian tourists travelling to the UAE will increase to 12 percent to reach 1.6 million in 2023
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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
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
Formula Middle East Calendar (Formula Regional and Formula 4)
Round 1: January 17-19, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 2: January 22-23, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 3: February 7-9, Dubai Autodrome – Dubai
Round 4: February 14-16, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 5: February 25-27, Jeddah Corniche Circuit – Saudi Arabia
The specs
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