Abu Dhabi’s remaining wetlands and its well publicized Bu Tinah archipelago have been mentioned a number of times by Green Prophet; especially with it being nominated for designation as one of  the earth’s Seven World Wonders. But now this natural wonder, along with other designated wetlands such as Abu Dhabi’s Al Wathba Wetland Reserve, may once again become home to increasing numbers of beautiful Greater Flamingos that are attracted to these areas as nesting sites.The large pink birds, the largest of  their species, are now returning to these locations in the Arabian Gulf after an absence of ten years, according to an article in Abu Dhabi’s The National. Greater flamingos, characterized by their gracefulness, their height of up to 150 cm. and unique call are well-recognized for standing on one foot while resting.

The protected breeding area of Al Wathba now has more than 1,900 flamingos; recently, as many as 90 chicks were counted by scientists from the Environmental Agency Abu Dhabi. The National also reported that the flamingos are known to breed in Shahama and Bul Shayeef,  though these areas are now under threat of development by real estate companies. Unless the Abu Dhabi government  steps in to protect them, the future of these birds, along with other wildlife, could be in jeopardy.

Much of the Gulf region has been under pressure by developers, and this has also caused problems for marine wildlife, including one of the world’s largest concentrations of dugongs – a large herbivorous marine mammal that feeds off of underwater vegetation such as sea grass.

Dugongs are also present in area

The future of all these animals will greatly depend of efforts made by environmentalists to protect them, as well as by restrictions on construction projects, which have caused considerable environmental damage to areas near both Abu Dhabi and neighboring Dubai. Neither increasing salinity of the sea water nor higher water temperatures bode well for area wildlife, including the flamingos, who often to fly considerable distances in search of food.

:: The National / EAD

Read more on issues affecting Abu Dhabi area wildlife:

Sea Turtles and Other Marine Life Living Happily on Persian Gulf Archipelago

Persian Gulf “Mermaids” Face  Man Made Environmental Threats

Dubai Marine Life at Risk After Devastating Shark Catch

The post Greater Flamingos Return to Abu Dhabi Wetlands and Hopefully to Bu Tinah appeared first on Green Prophet.

Humans engage in all manner of self-destructive behavior, and whales beach themselves. What’s worse, because they are deeply attached to other members of their pod, when senior whales beach themselves, the rest of the “family” will follow suit. The results are devastating, not only for the whales but also for onlookers who watch as these gentle giants struggle, slowly, against death on the beach.

Saving them is no easy feat. Whales, whose poop is essential to marine environments, can weigh thousands of pounds. Not only does this make them difficult to move, but often their internal organs and ribs are compromised by the force of their own weight. Since they endure significant anxiety and have to be handled very carefully, UK experts traveled last week to the UAE to teach 50 well-meaning participants how to avoid doing more harm than good while protecting their favorite dolphins, dugongs, and whales.

One of the first things that divers, environmentalists, aquarium representatives, schoolteachers, and wildlife experts learn is that marine mammals are not fish. They need to breathe. People that rush to splash water on beached mammals – a good thing to do – they inadvertently drown them instead by plugging up their blowholes.

The British Divers Marine Life Rescue group was invited by the Emirates Natural History Group. The deputy Chairman, Mr. Keith Taylor, arranged courses in Dubai and in Abu Dhabi, according to The National.

“There are a lot of people who spend time by the sea – divers, fishermen, beachcombers and natural history buffs – so we thought it would be a good idea to teach people how to care for the mammals of the sea,” he said. “It wasn’t in response to a perceived need for rescuing mammals, so much as when we got people together we realised there was such a need, and now we are working on building up a network of concerned people.”

Mr. Marsh and Richard Ilderton gave participants both practical and theoretical lessons. In addition to learning how to identify various species of whale, dolphin, and dugong, they were taught how to life and move a beached creature.

Since there weren’t a steady supply of beached mammals with which to demonstrate, learners lifted inflatable creatures filled with water and air in order to get a sense of their weight.

They also learned to use pontoons, which makes the difference between being able to save a beach mammal and not.

“You have little time to act when a mammal becomes beached,” Mr. Ilderton told the paper. “One pontoon system costs around Dh20,000, but, he said, it would radically alter the chances of survival for any beached mammal.”

“Currently, the survival rate is pretty much zero,” he said. “With one of these, it could potentially be 100 per cent if the animal is fit enough to go back in the water.

The UK representatives hope that the UAE will set an example for the rest of the Middle East.

:: The National

More about whales in the Middle East:

More Whale Fossils in The Egyptian Desert

Is Willie the Grey Whale Lost or Looking for Club Med? (VIDEO)

Iron-Rich Whale Poop Essential in Middle Eastern Marine Habitats

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