Wildlife

Malaysia's last female Sumatran rhino gravely ill

Kuala Lumpur - AFP

The last surviving female Sumatran rhino in Malaysia is seriously ill, a wildlife official said Wednesday, with vets racing to save the critically endangered creature. Iman is one of just two Sumatran rhinos known to still be alive in Malaysia. She lives in a wildlife reserve on Borneo island, where she is part of a captive breeding programme with the last surviving male, Tam.Read more

Saudi Ministry, wildlife authority confirm commitment to preserve environment

Riyadh - Muslimchronicle

The Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture and the Saudi Wildlife Authority have confirmed their commitment to preserving the environment. The two government agencies also said that in this regard, they are working in tandem to develop protective mechanisms. The ministry said that threats to the environment in Saudi Arabia include hunting and trafficking in migratory birds, local media reported.Read more

Wildlife groups accused of funding abuses against Pygmies in Africa

Libreville - AFP

Wildlife guards funded by the WWF and other conservation groups have carried out systematic abuses against tribes in central Africa, an activist group claimed on Monday. Survival International, a British rights group, published a report containing more than 200 reported incidents against the Baka and Bayaka Pygmies in Cameroon, the Democratic Republic of Congo and the Central African Republic sinceRead more

Borneo's orangutans in 'alarming' decline

Borneo - AFP

The orangutan population on the island of Borneo has shrunk by a quarter in the last decade, researchers said Friday, urging a rethink of strategies to protect the critically-endangered great ape. The first-ever analysis of long-term orangutan population trends revealed a worrying decline, they said. An international team of researchers used a combination of helicopter and ground surveys, interviews withRead more

Nepal to relocate five rare one-horned rhinos

Chitwan - Arab Today

Conservationists today captured a rare one-horned rhinoceros in Nepal as part of an attempt to increase the number of the vulnerable animals, which are prized by wildlife poachers. Five rhinos — one male and four female — will be released into a national park in Nepal’s far west over the coming week in the hope of establishing a new breeding group.Read more

More sandstorms in summer and rain in winter, UAE climate change risk report predicts

Abu Dhabi - Arab Today

Significantly hotter summers with increased sandstorms, higher humidity and more rain that could trigger flash-flooding are among the possible effects of climate change on the UAE. A report published on Monday by Emirates Wildlife Society-WWF, UAE Climate Change Risks and Resilience, suggests that by 2050 there could be an increase of up to 2°C during summer months and 10 perRead more

Renewables are the way forward for the UAE to cut emissions

Dubai - Arab Today

The UAE has ambitious plans in place to cut emissions and increase the amount of energy it generates from clean sources as the threats from climate change grow. A recent estimate suggested that 2 to 3 per cent of energy was generated from renewable sources. The goal is to increase that figure to 27 per cent by 2021. Solar projectsRead more

Rising temperatures put outdoor workers’ lives at risk

Abu Dhabi - Arab Today

Rising temperatures and an increase in air pollution will put the lives of outdoor workers at risk in the coming years. The UAE Climate Change Risk and Resilience report published by the Emirates Wildlife Society with the WWF, predicted that higher heat and humidity will endanger health and decrease productivity. The report forecast global economic losses through decreased productivity ofRead more

Thai jungle cameras reveal new breeding population of endangered tigers

Bangkok - Arab Today

Images of Indochinese tigers and cubs captured on camera in Thailand's eastern jungle have confirmed the existence of the world's second breeding population of the critically endangered animals, wildlife conservationists said on Wednesday. Poaching for the skin and body parts of tigers, used in traditional Chinese medicine, is a multi-million dollar business in Asia that has driven the animals toRead more

A taste of tropical in Dubai as indoor rainforest opens

Dubai - Arab Today

It has been years in the making, now Dubai’s very own tropical rainforest, complete with more than 3,000 species of plants, animals and free-flying birds, is ready to open to the public. Porcupines, sloths, snakes, spiders and a huge array of exotic birds are just some of the species living within the confines of the Green Planet project, which opensRead more