GSCAO Launches First-ever Arabian Oryx Housing And Husbandry Guidelines

ABU DHABI, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News / WAM - 13th Dec, 2018) The Coordination Committee for the Conservation of the Arabian Oryx (CCCAO), chaired by the Environment Agency - Abu Dhabi (EAD), held its sixth meeting in Abu Dhabi to enhance regional coordination and discuss progress towards the conservation of the Arabian Oryx and its natural habitats.

The General Secretariat for the Conservation of the Arabian Oryx (GSCAO) also launched the first-ever Arabian Oryx Housing and Husbandry Guidelines that compiles best practices in managing and breeding the species, as well as the minimum requirements for their housing, nutrition, capture and transportation, at the conference.

Sponsored by EAD, the Guidelines were developed based on field experience in managing Arabian Oryx collections in the UAE. Conservation managers, veterinarians, and zoologists working in the UAE and abroad, in partnership with Marwell Wildlife, Al Bustan Zoological Centre and Al Ain Zoo, all contributed to the guide – available in both English and Arabic on the GSCAO website.

The Committee meeting was organised by the GSCAO and attended by senior representatives from the Arabian Oryx range states: the UAE, Bahrain, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Oman, Saudi Arabia, Syria and Yemen.

Paying tribute to the UAE’s Founding Father, Dr. Shaikha Salem Al Dhaheri, Executive Director, Terrestrial and Marine Biodiversity Sector, at the Environment Agency – Abu Dhabi, said, "It was the late Sheikh Zayed who initiated the first step in saving the Arabian Oryx from extinction by establishing a breeding programme in Al Ain almost 50 years ago. We are proud to continue preserving his environmental legacy. His contributions have led to the UAE hosting over ten thousand Arabian Oryx today."

Founded in January 2000, the GSCAO serves as a regional platform to coordinate and facilitate efforts around the conservation of the Arabian Oryx in captivity and in the wild, with the long-term objective of supporting the establishment of viable populations throughout the range states.

Since its establishment, the Secretariat has regularly organised training workshops in the areas of record keeping and genetic management of the Arabian Oryx. It has also supported the development of a regional conservation strategy and rolled out three editions of the regional disease survey of the Arabian Oryx, which has helped collection managers to share information and best practice in the species’ veterinary management.