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May 2000
In the midst of nothingness, a green dot teems
with life! That's Sir Bani Yas Island. A privately owned nature reserve of
President H.H. Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, it transports you to a
time when oryx and gazelle roamed wild and free in the desert. When ibex
and tahr were found in the hills and wadis. When one could spot wild goats
and sheep instead of just domestic and feral ones. When we shared the land
judiciously with other living creatures. Better still, it whisks you away
to a geological age when the country was green, nourished by rains and
flowing waters.
Outside reality is rather different. If you wish to experience the
Arabian wilderness, consider yourself lucky if you chance sighting a fox,
a hare, or even a hedgehog. What with the mammals of Arabia having
virtually disappeared from their natural habitats. Indiscriminate hunting
using automatic weapons from motorised vehicles, following the oil boom
did most of the damage. Grazing pressure, drought, habitat alteration and
competition with domestic animals are doing the rest.
That's what makes Sir Bani Yas Island such an overwhelming experience.
Wildlife protection, captive breeding, particularly of endangered species
and the eventual release of surplus stock into natural habitats are the
goals of this and other sanctuaries owned by His Highness. Another vital
goal is conservation education, especially targeting children - the
decision-makers of tomorrow. To show them what was and what they nearly
lost. What it is today. And what may be, if they understand, appreciate
and act.
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The day is clear and you are on a flight over the coastal waters of Abu Dhabi,
some 200 km to its west and eight km offshore. Scan the sea surface and you will
look upon a jade green patch afloat on the shimmering waters. Emerald set
against blue sapphire would be more appropriate, for you are viewing what is
regarded as a jewel among Arabia's nature reserves - Sir Bani Yas Island. As
your plane descends, you see row upon row of plantations, forest groves, grass
banks, craggy hills, sloping plains and, scampering across these landscapes, a
profusion of wildlife! Herds of gazelle, oryx, antelope, black buck, wild sheep,
and other ungulates dot the terrain.
Sir Bani Yas ('Sir' meaning motherland; 'Bani Yas,' the name of a tribe)
Arabia tahr... among Arabia's most
endangered species | is the private island
reserve of U.A.E. President H.H. Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan; one that he
developed as an abode for wildlife. Here, they live in a secure, free-ranging
environment and, to ensure that they (particularly endangered species such as
Arabian oryx, sand gazelle and Arabian tahr) can propagate at will, no predators
have been introduced in this 230 sq km - sanctuary. There is plenty of food and
feed, freshwater, shelter, health care and a 1000 strong staff to look after the
animals.
Friday tours the island with Dr. Neelofar Ali Masoodi, ecologist, environment
& wildlife management, private department of H.H.
The Arabia oryx... there are about 500
Arabian oryx on Sir Baniyas Island | Sheikh
Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan. From the coast to its central core of hillocks, the
island supports diverse habitats, many of which have been created through
massive engineering schemes involving land reclamation, excavation, planting and
irrigation. Along the shore are sandbanks, inlets and mangrove-fringed
intertidal lagoons where hundreds of greater flamingo, sea gulls and cormorants
feed and roost. There are also two freshwater 'bird lakes,' the brackish and
sweet water habitats together attracting wild fowl in large numbers.
Matouq Abdul Rahman Saqer... birds and
animals feel safe here | On our visit we sight
migratory and resident birds - pintails, shovelers, black-winged stilts, teals,
crab plovers, avocets, grey herons….
Matouq Abdul Rahman Saqer, supervisor Sir Bani Yas Island, tells us that
there are 68 bird species that reside here, and another 20 species that come and
go. "Birds come here and make the decision to stay on because of the safety and
ready availability of good food!" he says. The Emirates Bird Records Committee
has, however, listed sightings of around 170 species.
Moving inland from the coast you are on an undulating plateau
Goitered, rhim or sand gazelle... found in thousands on the island
(click for a larger
picture) | that climbs up to the
central hills. Here, excitement awaits you at every corner, for it is replete
with herbivores. Some are in huge enclosures (there are over 300 enclosures,
some of which remain empty for grasses to regenerate, and animals are moved
around every 3-6 months); the rest roam around anywhere they please. Herds of
Arabian oryx - population approximately 500 - race across the slopes of an
amalgamation of large enclosures. Gazelles are frequently encountered in massive
groups, trotting past you and then pausing on the rock face to stare. Arabian
tahr graze contentedly. Partridge scuttle about nervously, and peacocks fan out
their feathers in a spectacular display of hues. An agitated ostrich displays
rather belligerently in its enclosure. There are also the more exotic animals -
giraffe, emu, rhea, zebra, llama, spotted deer, guinea fowl, water buck, addax,
and many others. This is some menagerie!
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Selected wildlife species on Sir Bani Yas Island and their numbers
(1998) |
| Arabian oryx |
311 |
| Scimitar-horned oryx |
672 |
| Beisa oryx |
211 |
| Gemsbok |
130 |
| Addax |
8 |
| Common eland |
301 |
| Defassa waterbuck |
4 |
| Fallow deer |
32 |
| Red deer |
24 |
| Axis deer |
371 |
| Hog deer |
3 |
| Barbary sheep |
4 |
| Wild sheep |
620 |
| Black buck |
827 |
| Grant's gazelle |
191 |
| Giraffe |
19 |
| Sand gazelle |
16,636 |
| Dorcas gazelle |
300 |
| Arabian gazelle |
311 |
| Llama |
8 |
| Arabian tahr |
7 |
| Rock hyrax |
30 | Vegetation on the sweeping downs ranges from
grass meadows equipped with sprinkler systems, tree groves - some 3.5 million
trees have been planted (there are 18,000 date palms) -- bushes and shrubs, most
of which are native species. Irrigation water is supplied here from three
desalination plants (two on the mainland and one on the island), the consumption
being to the tune of 6.5 - 7 million gallons per day.
Addax... threatened with extinction in the
wild | It is said that around 10,000 years ago
Sir Bani Yas was naturally green. One with the mainland, it was watered by
ancient rivers, and sustained fishing, hunting and food gathering communities.
All that changed and the land desiccated. Till the early 1900's it continued to
provide safe anchorage for fishing vessels and supported pearling activities.
H.H. Sheikh Zayed would visit the island on vacation with his family, following
an age-old Bedouin tradition of benefiting from the sea breezes during summer
months. A deep respect and love for nature and wildlife led him to the idea of
sharing his island with endangered wildlife such as the Arabian oryx, tahr and
sand gazelle. He wished to revive the land to a state it must have been in the
dim and distant past. To what it probably looked like centuries ago when it was
akin to the African savannas.
White llama... an exotic
species | It has been quite a success story! A
visitor to this island today can scarcely believe that just 30 years back it was
rocky barren land without natural freshwater, hardly any vegetation and animal
life. Matouq Abdul Rahman Saqer narrates to us how experts called in to study
the feasibility of making the island habitable for animals had declared, "There
is no way anything can be grown here." But Sheikh Zayed was determined it could
be done, and he himself planted the first tree to launch this challenging
environmental and biological experiment. Step by step His Highness developed Sir
Bani Yas into a settlement for wildlife. It has since evolved into a nature
reserve that enthralls, educates and contributes to research related to
agriculture, horticulture and wildlife management.
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TOP: Eland, largest of living antelopes
LEFT: The ostrich
from Africa... breeding on the island |
TOP: Grevy's zebra... in a happy
habitat
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TOP: Greening the island
LEFT: Flamingoes in flight...
hundreds of such birds feed and roost here (Click on
it for a bigger picture) |
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WHAT ON EARTH CAN WE DO?
Make our home, office, school or
college a less-paper establishment by:
- Utilising both sides of paper sheets - double-sided photo copying,
converting the reverse of used A4 sheets into note pads or small-size
scribble pads, using blank sides of used A4 sheets for personal or
informal printing and for fax messages, keeping used sheets aside for
children's drawings and sketches, reusing envelopes….
- Buying and using recycled paper and lighter weight paper. Or
whenever the opportunity arises, paper from nonwood fibres such as
agricultural waste or discarded clothing.
- Making sure we use paper-recycling facilities. If there aren't any,
requesting the municipal authorities to start some.
- Switching to online reports and forms and email. Companies overseas
that use the Internet instead of paper for purchase orders, invoices
etc. have been known to save $ 1 to $ 5 per page by eliminating paper
and reducing labour costs and time.
Lets remember that it takes
2 to 3.5 tonnes of wood to make one tonne of paper. Pulp and paper is a
huge consumer of energy - the industry uses as much power to produce a
tonne of product as the iron and steel industry. Making paper uses more
water per tonne than any other product in the world; and produces high
levels of air and water pollution. All to make a product that is usually
used once and thrown away.
Making new paper from old, i.e. recycling
not only saves trees. It also takes a fraction of the energy and chemicals
used in virgin paper production. And eases pressure on landfills.
Most
of the paper saving can be achieved by just good housekeeping. We will
save money too!
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