|
About | Contact | Mongabay on Facebook | Mongabay on Twitter | Free newsletter |
|
|
Photos: four Critically Endangered Somali wild ass born at preserve in Qatar Jeremy Hance mongabay.com December 07, 2009 The four foals all have the same father, a stallion named 'Hector' which came to AWWP in April 2008 from the Montpellier Zoo. "Funnily, 'Hector' was never seen mating with the mares - but proof that he successfully did so, is obvious. The four foals are frequently playing together on their favorite side - the rocky mountain within the wild asses’ spacious enclosure," according to the AWWP's website. It is estimated that less than 200 African wild ass—of which the Somali wild ass is a subspecies—survive in the wild in Eritrea, Ethiopia, and Somalia. The animals have been devastated by hunting for food and traditional medicines. Competition with livestock for water and foraging has also largely constrained the species. There are also concerns about the species breeding with domesticated donkeys. Currently, AWWP has eighteen Somali wild ass. The mission of AWWP is to "maintain genetically and demographically sustainable populations of 'focal species.' This is accomplished by providing facilities conducive to breeding success through the stringent management of behavioral, nutritional, and health requirements. Most of our focal species are currently threatened with extinction, but not all. However, one thing they all have in common is that they are very rare in captivity and for some species, AWWP has the only managed captive population in the world, " Dr. Sven Hammer, the Director of Wildlife and Veterinary Services at AWWP, told Mongabay.com in a recent interview.  Young foals playing. Photo by Catrin Hammer, the Mammal Curator at Al Wabra.  The four foals can be seen in this photo. Somali wild ass are notable for the zebra-like black-and-white markings on their legs. Photo by Catrin Hammer, the Mammal Curator at Al Wabra.  Two of the foals. Photo by Catrin Hammer, the Mammal Curator at Al Wabra. Related articles Sheikh goes from collector to conservationist in effort to save the world's rarest parrot 
(09/10/2009) Al Wabra Wildlife Preservation (AWWP) is a private conservation and endangered species breeding-center located in the Arabian gulf State of Qatar. Founded by Sheikh Saoud Bin Mohammed Bin Ali Al-Thani, the facility focuses on work with threatened antelope and bird species. Although AWWP has had great success with numerous endangered animals, the Preserve is most noted for developing a captive breeding program for the Spix's Macaw, a species of parrot now extinct in the wild and once considered "the world's most endangered bird species."
Tags: endangered species saving species from extinction hunting livestock middle east mammals wildlife animals Animal jeremy hance zoos Photos Deserts green environment ex-situ conservation activism conservation environmental activism happy-upbeat environmental Environmental news index | RSS | News Feed | Twitter | Home Advertisements:
|
|
|
DON'T LIKE ADS? Become a mongabay supporter WEEKLY NEWSLETTER RECENT FEATURES
POPULAR PAGES Photos
CALENDARS 
BOOKS BY MONGABAY AUTHORS
FREE WEEKLY NEWSLETTER 
HIGH RESOLUTION PHOTOS / PRINTS 
|
| | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Copyright mongabay 2010 Carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions generated from mongabay.com operations (server, data transfer, travel) are mitigated through an association with Anthrotect, an organization working with Afro-indigenous and Embera communities to protect forests in Colombia's Darien region. Anthrotect is protecting the habitat of mongabay's mascot: the scale-crested pygmy tyrant. |
