Abu Dhabi: A record number of houbara bustards were produced by the International Fund for Houbara Conservation (IFHC), the Fund announced at the 12th Abu Dhabi International Hunting and Equestrian Exhibition (Adihex).
This year’s IFHC production programme included 25,588 Asian houbara bustards, marking a 23 per cent increase in comparison to the previous season. Additionally, 20,426 North African houbara were produced this year, setting a new record for the programme.
“We are delighted to build on the success of previous years with yet another record year for the production of the houbara bustard,” said Mohammad Saleh Al Baidani, director-general of IFHC.
“These figures represent a significant achievement for our teams across our research centres, who are leading the way in global Houbara conservation. Together, we are working toward a sustainable future for the houbara and are committed to passing this legacy on to the next generation,” he added.
Experts at the IFHC had previously told Gulf News that urbanisation is one of the major reasons for the decline of the houbara population in the country. Another is because hunters entrap these birds and remove them from their original habitats in order to take them for training their falcons.
According to Al Baidani, the houbara is not the falcon’s natural prey and so training the hunting bird to capture the houbara has magnified the problem.
Running till September 13, Adihex has a stand dedicated solely to the IFHC where houbara bustards are put on live display so visitors can learn about them.
IFHC employees will also share information about the Fund and its conservation efforts.
