A long-eared hedgehog at the Breeding Centre. @Gulf News |
"The long-eared hedgehog is the rarest and is found only in Bahrain and along parts of the Gulf shores of Saudi Arabia and Kuwait, from where it spreads over a wider habitat into Iraq, Syria and Jordan," said Christian Gross, Managing Director, Animal Management Consultancy.
After a year of constant liaising with Kuwait's Scientific Centre a pair of these cute desert animals were waiting with all the right paperwork in place, to be transferred to Sharjah.
Paul Vercammen, Operations Manager, boarded a plane and collected them personally. The small creatures travelled as hand luggage, and the transfer was uneventful.
"This species is slightly smaller than the two other kinds of hedgehogs," Gross added. "They are very similar in appearance to the Ethiopian hedgehog, but the long-eared lacks the parting between the quills on his forehead."
Contrary to popular belief, the long ears are actually smaller than those of the other species, but since their quills are shorter the ears appear to be longer, he said.
The pair is currently housed at the Breeding Centre for Endangered Arabian Wildlife. "Once they have gone through their quarantine period, they will be on display for the public at Arabia's Wildlife Centre," he added.
