Take A Closer Look at UAE Wildlife
I saw butterflies this week at the Downtown Campus. They were beautiful. “There’s no wildlife in Abu Dhabi!” That’s the sentiment of many people I talk ...
Nov 16, 2013
I saw butterflies this week at the Downtown Campus. They were beautiful.
“There’s no wildlife in Abu Dhabi!”
That’s the sentiment of many people I talk to when I mention nature in the UAE. As a biology and film double major, I would love to produce a wildlife documentary for my Capstone project.
To produce a nature documentary film sounds like a great idea, but filming would be restricted to the UAE. People look confused at the thought of wildlife in Abu Dhabi, yet is it really such a ludicrous idea?
Each place has its own collection of wild species, and I admit that in downtown Abu Dhabi there may not be too much to look at, but that’s not to say we should all stop looking. Around the DTC garden, there are three main birds to see: Laughing Doves, Common Mynahs and House Sparrows. Those ‘pigeons’ on the streets are actually Laughing Doves, named after their call, which sounds like human laughter. Take a closer look at them — they actually have feathers in beautiful shades of pink, blue and orange, not just ‘dust coloured’. Take a closer look at the Common Mynah and notice that it walks proudly, rather than hops, and listen to its loud, diverse song.
That’s the obvious, everyday stuff. We are in fact very lucky for how green Abu Dhabi is, though whether all the irrigation is good is another discussion. There are numerous parks of grass, trees and plants. Take a closer look at these and appreciate the small stuff — the flowers, the bugs, the beetles and the occasional lizard. Don’t shy away from insects and arachnids. Rarely admired, they are vitally important to the planet and their intricate designs should be observed. In Liwa, seeing the tracks of scorpions in the desert was truly intriguing. Personally, my interest in insects comes from photographing them and I love to see the moment when someone stops completely as they peacefully take in the details of a sitting bee or other insect.
Take a closer look at the bigger picture. The UAE does vital work in wildlife management. The reintroduction of the Arabian Oryx, one of the most successful reintroduction projects in the world, was supported by the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan. Now, Abu Dhabi is host to the committee that oversees the conservation of this iconic species. Bu Tinah island is a protected island of Abu Dhabi open only to scientific research projects, and its surrounding waters are home to the second largest population of dugongs on the planet. The endangered Hawksbill turtles cause the hotels of Saadiyat to restrict beach access every summer as the turtles return to the shore to lay their eggs. The government marks off the nesting sites to minimise disturbance. I’m not naïve enough to say that every decision made in the UAE benefits wildlife or the environment. However, credit where credit is due: conservation projects are present in the Emirates.
I’m looking forward to discovering more of the UAE’s natural appeal and capturing it in a short film — hopefully it will open people’s eyes to the beauty of the fauna and flora that is here.
My hope is that people may go out and discover the natural appeal for themselves too, not just be satisfied with lazily saying, “There’s no wildlife!”
In Abu Dhabi, listen above the car noise and hear the birdsong. Go for a walk in the park whilst the weather is gorgeous. Take a closer look at the wildlife and appreciate it. Perhaps see the butterflies at DTC. They are beautiful.
Video courtesy of Cristobal Martinez.
Samuel Ridgeway is a contributing writer. Email him at editorial@thegazelle.org.
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