Arabian Tahr Sheltered By UAE's First Protected Mountain Area

The critically endangered Arabian leopard, Panthera pardus nimr, may also inhabit the newly protected area. Less than 250 adult leopards remain, according to the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.

Both species face threats from hunting and habitat loss because of development.

An adult Arabian tahr in the Wadi Wurayah Fujairah (Photo © Jane Edmonds/Emirates Wildlife Society -WWF)

The Wadi is a 129 square kilometer catchment that occupies the northern reaches of Fujairah between the towns of Masafi, Khor Fakkan and Bidiyah. The wetland valley located in Fujairah's coastal mountains has been an important source of water for local communities for thousands of years.

It was officially decreed as the UAE's first protected mountain area by His Highness the Ruler of Fujairah Shaikh Hamad Bin Mohammad Al Sharqi. The decree comes after the completion of a three year project launched in 2006 by Emirates Wildlife Society in association with the global conservation organization WWF and Fujairah Municipality with the support of HSBC Bank Middle East.

The project assessed the importance of Wadi Wurayah for nature conservation and the feasibility of establishing it as a protected area.

Under the proposed protection plan reviewed by the royal court, management and park rangers would patrol the area and help educate visitors. Visitors will be fined for leaving litter behind, polluting the water and painting graffiti – problems that currently threaten the Wadi.

The Wadi is located within WWF's Ecoregion 127 Arabian Highlands and Shrublands, one of the conservation organization's global ecoregions grouping the richest, rarest and most distinctive of the Earth's natural habitats.

"Wadi Wurayah is of considerable ecological significance allowing among the rarest species found in the UAE, Arabian Peninsular and the world to survive this harsh climate," said Razan Khalifa Al Mubarak, managing director of EWS-WWF.

"Over the past three years, we have revealed the presence of 12 species of mammals, 73 species of birds, 17 species of reptiles and amphibians, and one species of fish and 74 invertebrate families, of which 11 are new species for science," he said.

More than 300 species of plants have been recorded in the area, including species that are found only in wetlands such as Typha dominginsis and the unique orchid species of UAE, Epipactis veratrifolia, Al Mubarak said.

A yearling Arabian tahr is photographed by a camera trap in the Wadi Wurayah. 2006. (Photo courtesy EWS-WWF)

"We are extremely excited about the decree and thank HH Shaikh Hamad Bin Mohammad Al Sharqi for signing the official document, making history and securing that this gem of nature and culture is here for future generations to enjoy. We also thank Fujairah Municipality and HSBC Bank Middle East for their on-going support and dedication to this important cause," Al Mubarak said.

The decision follows a 2006 survey Fujairah among the residents of the areas surrounding Wadi Wurayah and its visitors to measure support for the area's protection.

The survey, conducted by EWS-WWF and students from the Higher Colleges of Technology, found that 67 percent of residents and visitors supported the move.

Only 18 percent of those surveyed objected to the plan and 13 percent of respondents were ambivalent.

The survey also revealed that the numbers of wild animals seen by residents in the area has dropped over the past 10 years.

"Wadi Wurayah is an extremely important part of the UAE's national heritage and our on-going discoveries of the species residing in the area, and support of the locals is a testament to that fact," said Dr. Christophe Tourenq, science and research manager at EWS-WWF and manager of the Wadi Wurayah project. "At the start of the project we discovered that the endangered mountain wildlife was increasingly threatened, either by direct transformation or through unregulated recreational use."

"This decree will go a long way in ensuring the wildlife and area is closely monitored and protected for future generations," Tourenq said.

In 1995, Fujairah Ruler Al Sharqi created the first marine protected areas of the United Arab Emirates.

"The declaration of Wadi Wurayah as the first mountain protected area of the country shows the commitment of the Fujairah government to the conservation of their natural and cultural heritage, said Tourenq. "The project also illustrates perfectly the collaboration between a local NGO, a local government to protect our heritage with the support of the private sector."

Kaltham Al Koheji, chairperson of HSBC in the Community Middle East Foundation said, "We welcome this move by the Government of Fujairah as one of the first steps towards early action for the conservation of this beautiful area. HSBC would like to recognize the contribution our staff made in this project by actively volunteering their time to help achieve this successful outcome."

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