The world is a mask that hides the real world.
Thatâs what everybody suspects, though the world we see wonât let us dwell on it long.
The world has ways - more masks - of getting our attention.
The suspicion sneaks in now and again, between the cracks of everyday existenceâ¦the bird song dips, rises, dips, trails off into blue sky silence before the note that would reveal the shape of a melody that, somehow, would tie everything together, on the verge of unmasking the hidden armature that frames this sky, this tree, this bird, this quivering green leaf, jewels in a crown.â¦
As the song dies, the secret withdraws.
The tree is a mask.
The sky is a mask.
The quivering green leaf is a mask.
The song is a mask.
The singing bird is a mask.
Tuesday, May 17, 2005
preventing houbara extinction
Abu Dhabi: 28 years of protecting houbara
Zayed was the first to declare houbara birds as endangered species
by Abdul Nasser Hahhar, Middle East Online, Abu Dhabi
The late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan was the first to sound the alarm bell and declare houbara birds as endangered species three decades ago, Sheikh Hamdan bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of State for Foreign Affairs has said.
In an editorial note in Al Saqqar Magazine, a specialized publication featuring falconry and other related issues, Sheikh Hamdan who is also Chairman of the UAE Falconers' Club recalled that Sheikh Zayed painted a graphic picture as to what would happened if adequate measures were not taken to avert the tragic extinction of the houbara species.
"It was indeed a blessing from God that we had a forthright visionary like Sheikh Zayed- may God have mercy upon his soul- who foresaw the threats besetting houbara and the consequential disappearance of our heritage if the houbra were allowed to disappear into oblivion", said Sheikh Hamdan.
He noted that Sheikh Zayed did not sit back to watch and leave the houbara to their fate, but rather set out to launch conservation projects. As a bird that he had known so closely from his own traditional milieu, Sheikh Zayed knew the importance of conserving the houbara species, hence the launch of world-class conservation projects.
"Without these projects, our knowledge of the bird, its habitat, migration route, breeding season, food and other data would have been inadequate indeed. But thanks to Sheikh Zayed captive breeding schemes which are today, not only a source of knowledge to us but also a source of pride" said Sheikh Hamdan.
Recounting the success story of the Abu Dhabi emirate in the area of houbara conservation, Sheikh Hamdan said this story dates 28 years back, specifically to 1977 in Al Ain Zoo where the conservation efforts began with just 7 Asian houbara species, which constituted the nucleus for the UAE houbara captive-breeding programme. Efforts to make the programme a success continued unabated until the first captive-bred Asian houbara hatched in 1982.
"That was a terrific and memorable moment. I vividly remember the moment when the news was broken to Sheikh Zayed and how elated he was to see his efforts coming into fruition", recalled Sheikh Hamdan. He pointed out that the first hatch was a landmark event in the conservation efforts of the UAE, with Sheikh Zayed becoming more determined to see that the UAE ecology had turned into a sanctuary and permanent habitat of the houbara.
It was at this juncture that a comprehensive strategy was evolved. The hallmark of this strategy was the establishment of the National Avian Research Centre (NARC), which today stands out as a beacon for houbara studies and research. NARC stands today as world renowned authority in houbara studies and been able to successfully developed its progarmme. It suffices to say that the centre was able to produce nearly 400 houbara bustards this season alone.
Describing NARC as a source of pride, Sheikh Hamdan added that scientific expertise of the centre has developed significantly as evident in its ability to produce houbara bustards prematurely, well before the beginning of the breeding season.
Sheikh Hamdan concluded by saying that the UAE houbara breeding programme stems from its deep commitment to preserve its indigenous heritage, of which houbara is an integral part.
"The houbara is expressive of a two-millennia tradition which has been handed down from one generation to the next", Sheikh Hamdan concluded.
