UN warns that desert wildlife may disappear

Doha: A recent United Nations report on desert fauna warned that the Arabian oryx, also Qatar's national symbol, could disappear from the desert landscape.

The latest Global Deserts Outlook issued in early June by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) called on Arab countries to take urgent steps to protect the oryx and other endangered species in the region, said the local daily Peninsula.

"Desert species on the brink of extinction or declining fast include various species of gazelle, oryx, addax, Arabian tahr goat and the Barbary sheep as well as one of the falconers' favourite prey, the houbara," said a release posted by UNEP in its website.

The document estimates that desert wilderness will decline by an estimated 30 per cent by 2050, due to the creation of new roads and the expansion of settlements.

"Urgent action is needed to protect wildlife in deserts with hunting among the biggest threats," the release says.