Endangered species at home in Qatar

Brilliantly coloured Birds of Paradise fly from tree to tree in a vast aviary, their iridescent plumage glittering in the sunlight.Below them, pink flamingoes and white spoonbills stalk the shallow waters of a pool, and the silence is broken by the harsh cries of Red-tailed cockatoos. All this under one roof? Yes, said Richard Switzer, the bird curator of the Al Wabra Wildlife Preservation near Shahaniya, in his presentation to members of the Qatar Natural History Group (QNHG) last Wednesday.

Unbelievable though it may seem, in the midst of the dry desert landscape is an oasis filled with mature trees and gardens, where some of the world’s rarest species of birds and animals are being successfully bred. Founded as a hobby farm by the father of the owner, a member of the ruling family, the Al Wabra reserve has now been transformed into a state-of-the-art breeding and research centre for endangered species. [Read on…]

i have heard about this place before and i am not sure what to think about it. i wonder what they plan to do with all the endangered species they are "saving"...