The UAE is home to some amazing species that are in dire need of help. Thankfully, there are people who care enough to devote their lives to bring them back from the brink.

Not since the demise of the dinosaurs over 65 million years ago has the planet experienced such a rapid and devastating loss of life. Every single day, between 150 and 200 species of plants, insects, birds and mammals become extinct.

Despite this alarming statistic from the United Nations Environment Programme, teams of dedicated people around the world are fighting back. And the UAE is no exception.

Arabella Willing

For Arabella Willing, resident marine biologist at Park Hyatt Abu Dhabi, ensuring hawksbill turtle hatchlings have the best possible chance of survival is just another day on the job. It is estimated that only 20,000 females are left in the world and the population of hawksbills has decreased by as much as 80 percent over the last century.

“They’re categorised as critically endangered; the next stage would be extinct in the wild. Turtles don’t breed in captivity. So once they’re extinct in the wild, it’s curtains.”

Hessa Al Qahtani

“The sand cat is a nocturnal species,” says Hessa Al Qahtani, a senior conservationist based in Al Ain. “They are very rare; we don’t see them very often at all, and this is what makes research so difficult. The fast pace of development here in the UAE is considered a threat to the sand cat as their habitat is being destroyed.”

“We produced a conservation strategy for the sand cat, the first of its kind in the region, in partnership with experts from across the region as well as the IUCN and other NGOs.”

Dr Salim Javed

“If you look at the history of conservation in the UAE, in terms of achievement, it’s been positive,” says Dr Salim Javed, acting director of EAD’s terrestrial biodiversity division. “The Arabian oryx is a great example — from being extinct in the wild, we now have a strong population of at least 400 in protected areas. Another success story is the dugong monitoring programme with a stable population of around 3,000.”

How can I get involved?

• Dugong conservation: dugongconservation.org
• Sea turtle conservation: uae.panda.org
• IUCN Red List: iucnredlist.org
• Environment Agency Abu Dhabi: ead.ae

Species in danger

Houbara Bustard: Due to urbanisation and hunting, placed on the IUCN Red List in the 90s with just 9,800 left in the wild.

Arabian Tahr: Classed as endangered, fewer than 5,000 left in the wild.

Arabian Leopard: Critically endangered, fewer than 200 left in the wild.

Socotra Cormorant: Vulnerable, fewer than 10,000 mating pairs left in the UAE.