50 houbara released into Al Ain desert in the UAE
IFHC ties up with ZHO
Dubai: The International Fund for Houbara Conservation (IFHC) has marked the launch of a strategic partnership with the Zayed Higher Organisation for Humanitarian Care & Special Needs (ZHO) with the release of 50 houbara in the Al Ain desert.
The release, the latest effort in the IFHC’s Proactive Intervention Conservation Model to secure a sustainable future for the vulnerable bustard, a mainstay of UAE wildlife, took place at the Telal Resort in Al Ain.
At the release, ZHO athletes competing in the UAE Special Olympics team joined senior figures from IFHC and ZHO to help introduce the 50 captive-bred birds into the wild. The event signalled the beginning of an IFHC-ZHO partnership that will see the IFHC’s education programme — which engages school students on the importance of conserving and protecting the Houbara — rolled out across ZHO’s 18 centres in the UAE.
ZHO provides a range of services and humanitarian care for 1,650 people of determination, including education and vocational training to ensure inclusion into the community.