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Al Ain Zoo recently initiated and hosted the Arabian Sand Cat One Plan Conservation Workshop, a two-day event focused on continuing the drive to conserve the Arabian sand cat. The workshop saw 30 experts from regional and international institutions – including the International Union for Conservation of Nature Species Survival Commission (IUCN) – convene at the zoo, which is home to the largest ex situ (captive) population of the species worldwide.
The institutions collaborated during the workshop to produce the first regional population management plan for the Arabian sand cat, ensuring that the captive population is sustainable and remains genetically healthy.Participants further worked together to design a research project to study the Arabian sand cat in the wild (the in situ population), as very little is known about the elusive species.
Commenting on the initiative, H.E. Ghanim Mubarak Al Hajeri, said:
“Given the international zoo community’s move towards bridging the gap between ex situ and in situ conservation, Al Ain Zoo hosted this workshop to produce the first One Plan for research and conservation of the Arabian sand cat. The ex situ element will focus on collections in the Arabian region and the in situ research will focus initially on Abu Dhabi.
The initiative sees Al Ain Zoo well positioned to continue driving the conservation of this species, as we house the largest captive population of the Arabian sand cat worldwide, and is a strategic component of our commitment to leading the conservation of arid wildlife overall.”
The sand cat inhabits the deserts of Arabia, North Africa and Central Asia, with the Arabian sand cat being a distinct population. Degradation of the desert environment has led to the decline of many species, including the sand cat. IUCN’s Red List of Threatened Species lists the cat as ‘near threatened’, however the threat to many local populations in the region is suspected to be much higher. In fact, the Arabian Sand Cat is classified as ‘endangered’ in both the UAE’s and Abu Dhabi’s regional IUCN Red Lists, with only four reliable sightings in the Emirate since 1995. Due to the mysterious nature of this species, it is challenging to estimate exactly how many individuals are left in the wild. Factors including overgrazing, habitat loss and accidental poisoning aimed at foxes and dogs mean that the wild population could be under threat.
In addition to leading the establishment of the Arabian Zoo and Aquarium Association, Al Ain Zoo is a member of the World Association for Zoo and Aquaria, and is actively involved in several internationally coordinated conservation projects, working with other like-minded organisations such as Environment Agency – Abu Dhabi, the IUCN Species Survival Commission, San Diego Zoo, the Northern Rangelands Trust of Kenya and the Sahara Conservation Fund, to conserve and re-introduce threatened arid land species such as Arabian Oryx and Scimitar-horned Oryx to their natural habitat.
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