NEWSSaudi Arabia. Email - "Jorge Soares" ININ Of all the mammals in Arabian Peninsula, the...

NEWS

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CONTENTS

Volume 7 • Issue 1 • l 2014 • ISSN 1990-8237

1. Editorial

Tick survey in Ethiopian hedgehogs

The first Arabian Zoo and Aquarium Association (AZAA) Conference

The first Arabian Zoo Contd.

A sand gazelle project launched in Al Wusta Wildlife Reserve, Oman

A sand gazelle project launched in Al Wusta Wildlife Reserve, Oman Contd

Phylogeny and genetic diversity of Caracal in Iran

Diploma in the Management of Zoos and Aquarium Animals goes International

Satellite tracking of Socotra cormorants breeding on Siniya Island

Arabian sand cat “One Plan” Conservation Workshop hosted by Al Ain Zoo

FEW/FPALY Newsletter relaunch

Information sought regarding vulture poisoning

Wildlife Disease Association (Africa and Middle East Chapter) is relaunched.

Field guide to the wild mammals of Iraq

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© Xavier Eichaker

Wildlife Middle East News is published quarterly. It contains papers, reports, letters and announcements submitted byveterinarians, biologists, conservationists, educators, and other animal care professionals working with captive andfree-living wildlife in the Middle East region. Contributions are not refereed, although every effort is made to ensure the information contained within the newsletter is correct, the editors cannot be held responsible for the accuracy ofcontributions. Opinions expressed within are those of the individual and are not necessarily shared by the editors. Guidelines for authors can be downloaded from www.wmenews.com

WILDLIFE MIDDLE EAST NEWS OBJECTIVES• • •

Nature reaches out to us with welcoming arms, and bids us enjoy her beauty; but we dread her silence and rush into the crowded cities, there to huddle like sheep fleeing from a ferocious wolf.

EDITORIAL

Volume 7 • Issue 1 • April 2014 • ISSN 1990-8237

N S I I

e l o o Dip.H.Ed., B.Sc., M.Sc.

(Conservation Biology) CBiol, MSB, Director of

Wildlife Services, Wadi Al Safa Wildlife Centre,

PO Box 27875, Dubai, United Arab Emirates.

om le BSc, BVSc, MRCVS, Cert Zoo Med,

MSc (Wild Animal Health), PhD, Dip ECAMS,

International Wildlife Consultants, PO Box 19,

Carmarthen, Dyfed, Wales, United Kingdom.

e- se e DVM, MSc

(Wild Animal Health), MRCVS, Wildlife Veterinarian,

Managing director of Wildlife Consultant L.L.C.

Al Ain, United Arab Emirates.


TICK SURVEY IN ETHIOPIAN HEDGEHOGS (PARAECHINUS AETHIOPICUS) AT THUMAMAH, SAUDI ARABIA

Fekadu ShiferawDesta¹ and Jorge F. Soares²1Veterinary Clinical Officer (DVM, MSc WAH, Asst. Professor (Hon), King Khalid Wildlife Research Center, Saudi Arabia. Email- [email protected] Veterinary and Laboratory Service (DVM, MSc WAH, MRCVS), King Khalid Wildlife Research Center, Saudi Arabia. Email - "Jorge Soares" <[email protected]>

IN I NOf all the mammals in Arabian Peninsula, the hedgehogs are perhaps the most primitive. Ethiopian hedgehog is well adapted for survival in extremely arid areas. However, within these areas it tends to favour the oases and vegetated wadis where food is more abundant. In Saudi Arabia, they hibernate in the cool weather (December to February) often in fox earths or disused tunnels dug by hares. However, even when hibernating for several weeks they will usually emerge every few days to feed (Harrison & Bates, 1991). Hedgehog feeds on scorpion, snails, spiders, snakes, insects, eggs and amphibians. It also eats seeds, berries, grasses and leaves. It survives up to 9-10 years (Aulagnier et al., 2008; Harrison & Bates, 1991; Macdonald, 1984)

Rhipicephalus sanguineus, kennel tick, is considered mainly parasite of dog known as a pan-African parasite now thrives on the entire world (Norval & Horax, 2004). This tick has been reported in wild animals: Arabian hare, Common Red Fox, Lesser Jerboa and Libyan Jird and domestic animals: dog, goat, sheep and camel (Hoogstraal et al., 1981). R. sanguineus was reported as vector of the CCHF virus, Ricketsia rhipicephali, R. conorii, Rickettsia rickettsii, C. burneti, Ehlichia canis and B. canis (Hoogstraal et al.,1981; Kahn, 2005). In general because ticks feed on the blood of vertebrate hosts, some species transmit such zoonotic diseases as human babesiosis and human granulocytic anaplasmosis (Brunner & Richard, 2008; Clark, 2012).

A study of was carried out from May–October 2012, the objective of which was to identify tick species prevalent in Ethiopian hedgehogs at Thumamah, at 1 km radius of King Khalid Wildlife Research Centre, Saudi Arabia, and assess the cross infestation of ticks in King Khalid Wildlife Research Centre’s captive wild ruminant collection. This paper reports the findings of the study.

I S N SEthiopian hedgehogs were trapped over night with a 12.5x12.5x30cm Havahart™ live trap (EKCO Group Company, Pennsylvania, USA, figure 1). The following day they were anesthetised with Isoflurane (ISOVET™, figure 2), using gas anaesthetic machine and vaporizer Matrx™ VIP 3000 (MIDMARK Corporation, NY, USA, figure 3). Ticks were collected using thumb forceps and preserved in 70% ethyl alcohol. Ticks were identified under stereomicroscope (Nikon Steroscopic Microscope, SMZ-2T™, Japan) in the KKWRC laboratory using the keys of Hoogstraal et al., (1981). Results were analysed with Graph pad Instat Software®

S S N IS SSI NA total of 995 adult (567males, 428 females) Rhipicephalus spp ticks were recovered from 57 Ethiopian hedgehogs (34 males, 23 females) at Thumamah. 17 immature stages of ticks were also identified. The maximum numbers of ticks collected from a single male and a single female hedgehog were 79 and 68 respectively and the minimum number was one from each. Rhipicephalus sanguineus (figure 4) was identified from all hedgehogs. The overall average mean recorded tick burden was 17.5 (SEM=2.09). Female hedgehogs carry a mean of 17.5 (SEM=3.6) and male hedgehogs carry a mean of 17.4 (SEM =2.6) ticks. There was no significant difference between them (t-test, P>0.05). There

was no significant difference in numbers male and female ticks found (t-test, P>0.05). The highest number of male ticks collected from one hedgehog was 54 and female ticks were 39. Detail findings are depicted on tables 1 and figure 5. Because rodents are less active during the cold season (November to March), attempts to capture them during this season were unsucccessful.

Table 1. Number of Rhipicephalus sanguineus ticks collected from Ethiopian hedgehogs at Thumamah during May–October 2012.

The tick species, Rhipicephalus sanguineus, recovered from Ethiopian hedgehogs have not been reported in the larger of mammals in the KKWRC collection nor from ground plots in the ongoing tick monitoring study in KKWRC and PMSGBC (Sheferaw, 2012). Bunnel et al. (2011) in North Yorkshire, England, reported that there is a strong correlation between health and tick load in hedge-hogs, healthy animals being less likely to carry many ticks than sick ones. However, this is not the case in the hedgehogs in this study, all of which had good body condition and appeared healthy. The reasons for this difference might be worth investigation.

The tick, Rhipicephalus sanguineus, seen here have been reported to infect larger and smaller domestic and wild mammals elsewhere and the role of these ticks in the transmission of disease has been documented. They could, therefore, be a potential threat to the KKWRC’s animal collection and personnel.

All references and acknowledgements are available on the website version.

SEX OF TICKS M F Total ticks Ticks on male hedgehogs 366 227 593Ticks on female 201 201 402Total ticks 567 428 995

was no significant difference in numbers male and

Fig.1. Havahart™ live trap used to capture Ethiopian hedgehogs. Photo by Fekadu Shiferaw.

The tick, Rhipicephalus sanguineus, seen here

Fig. 5. Distribution of ticks in Ethiopian hedgehogs at Thumamah between May–October 2012.

Fig.2. Male Ethiopian hedgehog under anaesthesia. Arrows indicate ticks. Photograph by Jorge Soares. Fig.2. Male Ethiopian hedgehog under anaesthesia. Fig.2. Male Ethiopian hedgehog under anaesthesia. Fig.3. Male Ethiopian hedgehog under gas

anaesthesia. Photograph by Jorge Soares

Fig.4. Dorsal view of male Rhipicephalus sanguineus collected from an Ethiopian hedgehog. Photograph by Fekadu Shiferaw.


3.

Mark Craig Director Life Science, Al Ain Wildlife Park and Resort. email [email protected]

NThe idea of a Middle East Zoo and Aquarium Association has been spoken and discussed about by the zoo community for more than a decade. At various times individuals within the region have started the process but due to a various reasons, all failed to gain traction. This changed in 2012 when an initiative of Mr Ghanim Al Hajeri, Director General of Al Ain Zoo proposed the hosting of the first regional zoo and aquarium networking meeting from the 11-13 Dec 2012 The primary objectives of this meeting were:

• To bring together for the first time representatives from the major zoos and aquariums in the region to share their values and mission with each other.

• To establish a network in which everyone feels comfortable with communication and sharing of common ideas.

• To recognize that it is a distinct advantage to be part of a networking forum that gives strength to individual institutions as a member.

• To establish support and need of a regional zoo and aquarium association

This bold undertaking by Mr Ghanim was to be the catalyst in creating a regional working environ-ment, under one roof with the sole purpose of establishing an agreement that a zoo and aquarium association in the Middle East would be a distinct advantage and have regional support. The 3 day meeting included presentations from regional zoos and aquariums and a facilitated workshop with discussion points that allowed for open dialogue amongst all delegates. The areas of focus were:

• Provide an opportunity for networking among zoo and aquarium professionals from the region for the first time.

• Begin a database of contact information for zoo and aquariums in the region.

• Learn about the region’s zoos and aquariums.

• Describe what zoo and aquarium associations are and how they work.

• Demonstrate the benefits of a regional zoo and aquarium association or cooperative.

• Explain the process of gaining membership of a regional association or cooperative through the direct experiences of delegates

• Identify the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats related to establishing such an organisation in our region.

• If supported, plan the next steps needed to develop the initiative further.

THE FIRST ARABIAN ZOO AND AQUARIUM ASSOCIATION (AZAA) CONFERENCE

Delegates arrived from Bahrain, Jordan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the UAE. Three international guest speakers from Switzerland, USA and Africa also arrived. These were:

• Dr. Gerald Dick – Executive Director of WAZA

• Dr. Sally Walker – Director / Founder Zoo Outreach Organisation and the South Asian Zoo Association for Regional Cooperation (SAZARC)

• Dr. Stephen Van Der Spuy – Executive Director African Association of Zoos & Aquariums

The historic meeting was official opened by Mr. Ghanim Al Hajeri, Director General, Al Ain Zoo who spoke about the importance of the meeting and how success could be achieved with cooperation from all delegates.

‘’We have an opportunity over the next few days to work together in reviewing what we have now and what we want in the future. To lay down the frame-work for a network of regional Zoos and Aquariums and in doing so promote and enhance all the reasons we meet here today for the long term responsible care and wellbeing of the animals we hold in trust’’

At the final session a draft agreement was presented to all delegates. This agreement incorpo-rated the positive comments and unanimous wish to be part of their own zoo and aquarium association. The agreement:

On this day 13th December 2012 at the 1st regional Zoo and Aquarium networking meeting hosted by Al Ain Zoo the delegates agree that:

A regional Arabian Zoo and Aquarium Association be established.

This organisation will communicate, collaborate and cooperate with its members the strengths and opportunities we all share.

We will share information about our animal collec-tions for the benefit of these animals.

On return to our countries we will engage with our national institutions on a regular basis.

Al Ain Zoo is willing to provide office space and staff time to coordinate communication within the region and to establish a working group of members to move forward in the establishment of our Association.

3.3.

Ghanim Al Hajeri, director of Al Ain Zoo, at the opening ceremony

4.

ProgressFollowing on from this successful regional networking meeting, Al Ain Zoo proceeded to coordinate communication over the following 12 months with the view to host the 1st Arabian Zoo and Aquarium Association Conference at which a framework of membership would be presented to delegates. This was finally achieved from the 10th – 12th December 2013 when the first conference was hosted by Al Ain Zoo with the theme of One Region One Vision One Plan.

Over 60 delegates from zoos and aquarium facilities in the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman and Jordan attended the conference presenting papers on topics including conserva-tion programs, education initiatives, animal management, veterinary research, staff training and exhibit management. The keynote speaker was John Newby, CEO of the Sahara Conservation fund who spoke of the various conservation projects currently being undertaken in the Sahara region of North Africa and the impact zoos can make in such programs directly or in partnership with the SCF.

THE FIRST ARABIAN ZOO ANDAQUARIUM ASSOCIATION (AZAA) CONFERENCE CONTINUED


The full conference program included plenary sessions and a series of facilitated workshops to review draft documents on the proposed governance of AZAA. Draft documents discussed in detail were a Code of Ethics, Code of Practice and a Constitution. With much enthusiasm and cooperation from the working groups a series of changes, additions and clarifications were recorded that will form the basis of final documents.

At the end of the final session all delegates unanimously agreed to the following recommendations

• The agreed draft AZAA Code of Ethics, Code of Practice & Constitution to be documented and forwarded to all delegates for approval. Will be translated to Arabic

• Al Ain Zoo to establish the AZAA Office and take on the role of coordinator of AZAA affairs.

• Al Ain Zoo to establish a provisional Core Committee of representatives (for the next 12 months) to carry forward implementation of the agreed constitution.

• AZAA to meet again in Nov 2014.

This historic 1st Arabian Zoo and Aquarium Association conference was a great success and will form the basis of its future development. There is still much to do in developing a working framework of governance and establishing standards for animal care in the region but a huge step has been taken towards the realisation of this region’s very own zoo and aquarium association. Delegates got a preview of the new Al Ain Wildlife Park and Resort conservation centre in Al Ain.

Khalifa Al Jahwari & Qais Al RawahiAffiliation:Al Wusta Wildlife Reserve, Office for Conservation of the Environment, Diwan of Royal Court, Oman. [email protected] & [email protected]

Keywords: Arabian sand gazelle, Oman, Al Wusta Wildlife Reserve, translocation, captive management.

IN I N Historically the Arabian sand gazelle Gazella subgutturosa marica, ranged the open sand habitats of the Arabian Peninsula through Iraq, Jordan, Syria and into southern Turkey (Mallon & Kingswood 2001 in Wacher et al. 2010). In Oman the species inhabited the open sands of the Empty Quarter Desert, Eastern Sands/Wahiba Sands and marginally the gravel desert of central Oman. A survey by the Saudi Wildlife Commission in 1990 reported that sand gazelles were found in the border area of Ghanim in the Omani side, with sizeable herds ranging across 30 kms of the border. In 2000 when Massolo et al. (2008) carried out a two days survey (line transect by car) in the central sand desert of Oman, only 44 gazelles were sighted and 34 were tracked, totaling 78 gazelles (estimated density 1.26 ind./sqkm).

Unfortunately in recent years, the sand gazelle populations throughout the range have been subject to habitat degradation and excessive hunting and poaching. The unprecedented economic development in the region and availability of four-wheel vehicles and automatic rifles

A SAND GAZELLE PROJECT LAUNCHED IN AL WUSTA WILDLIFE RESERVE, OMAN

Keywords: Arabian sand gazelle, Oman, Al Wusta Wildlife Reserve, translocation, captive management.Reem feeding in captivity at WWR. (Khalid Al Jahwari)

to poachers resulted in an almost complete wipe-out of the wild species.

Many range states established captive populations of sand gazelles in zoos and breeding centres. Some of these were later used for introductions/re-introductions into the wild.

During 1990 in Saudi Arabia, a captive group was successfully re-introduced into the Mahazat As Sayd Reserve, a fenced protected area located c. 150 kms northeast of Taif (Haque & Smith 1996).Today the IUCN’s Red List of Threatened Species classifies the Arabian sand gazelle as vulnerable.

5.


I N S N IN NToday the Ministry of Environment & Climate Affairs spoke of only few reem sightings in the north-western outskirts of Dhofar reported by the Maqshan Ranger Unit during 2011 - 2013. A small captive group of sand gazelles has been safeguarded in the Omani Wild Animals Breeding Centre which was built in As Seeb, Muscat in the early 1980s. Currently a large-scale program is being undertaken by the Office for Conservation of the Environment of Oman's Diwan of Royal Court to introduce a free-ranging Arabian sand gazelle population in Al Wusta Wildlife Reserve of central Oman. Here we present the early works of this project, the captive management and the future research program.

o e s e msAl Wusta Wildlife Reserve (WWR) is located in the central desert of Oman, c. 100 kms to the east of Haima, and enclosed by a 2m high chain-link perimeter fence. The WWR covers c. 2,824 km2 tract of open, sparsely-vegetated limestone desert including part of the Al Huqf escarpment to the east.

The WWR is home to the Arabian Oryx which was successfully reintroduced to the Jiddat al Harasis (known as the Jidda’) plateau of the central desert in 1982. The Jidda’ is also a core habitat for Arabian gazelle, Nubian ibex and a relatively diverse spectrum of avifauna and reptiles. Although there was never a permanent population of sand gazelle in the area defined by the WWR, on occasions, after rain, sand gazelles came onto the Jidda’ from the sands of the Empty Quarter. Unfortunately, during the late 1990s there was excessive wildlife poaching and many oryx, ibex and gazelle were lost. Consequently sand gazelles have not been sighted on the Jidda’ in recent years.

In January 2013, a sand gazelle project was launched in the WWR. The aims are multi-fold: 1. to release sand gazelles to the WWR as free ranging with the long term aim of establishing a wild population along side the Arabian oryx and Arabian gazelle. 2. to ensure that the introduced population is genetically-diverse. 3. to re-establish the support and understanding of the local people through outreach programs for public awareness and education. 4. to increase the tourism value of the WWR.Within Jaaluni, WWR's field headquarters, a new 1×1km pre-release enclosure including holding pens was built for the sand gazelles. The enclosure has well established tree cover including ghaf Prosopis cineraria, samr Acacia tortilis and salm Acacia ehrenberginia. Holding pens were provided with additional man-made shading. New staff were recruited to take on the daily feeding, caring and observation of the captive herd supported by a complete veterinary team.

slo oTo diversify the gene pool of the species over 300 captive sand gazelles were provided to the project from three different captive groups in three range countries (Table 1). Prior to translocation the animals were separated from their main captive populations into holding pens and ear-tagged for identification.

I -s u e m emeOn arrival at Jaaluni the animals were moved into separate holding pens for a three week quaran-tine. On completion of their quarantine, the majority were released together into the 1×1km pre-release breeding enclosure. A small number of individuals from each country group remained in separate holding pens to retain their genetic origin. During January - March the reem population had 41 births and 18 deaths, with the population size numbering 338 by March 31st (Figure 1).

A SAND GAZELLE PROJECT LAUNCHED IN AL WUSTA WILDLIFE RESERVE, OMAN (Continued)

The captive reem are fed alfalfa hay and concen-trated feed every morning and afternoon. A monitor-ing scheme was put in place on a daily basis with veterinary intervention in cases of severe injury or suspected disease.

e e eme u u e eseA coherent and specific genetic monitoring and management policy is imperative in order to minimize loss of genetic diversity of this population. This will be done through screening of nuclear and mtDNA markers for representative individuals from the population in order to: 1 Verify species status of the population (e.g. G. g. marica versus G. g. subgutturosa). 2 Assess population genetic diversity and relatedness to other captive populations; setting the foundation for coordinated genetic research of sand gazelle across the region. 3 Assess the power of nuclear genetic markers to determine parentage, individual identification and resolve the pedigree of the population. 4 Develop a genetic management plan for sand gazelle and a studbook management system or group based management system. Develop a detailed on-going plan for population genetic screening and monitoring.

All references and acknowledgements are available on the website version.

The captive reem are fed alfalfa hay and concen-

Reem drinking at WWR. (Khalid Al Jahwari)

e e eme u u e esee e eme u u e ese

Figure 1. Births and mortality of the captive reem population during the 1st three months in Jaaluni

I -s u e m emeI -s u e m eme

Table 1. Details on number of animals provided and means of transport to the introduction site.

ou Num e o m ls o e e s o s o e o s me

o l le em le

m 7 19 s o m ls e l e oo e

o es s o e s e s u 2013

S u 80 20 0 ou s o m ls s o lu

o e s e s o

e u 2013

1 0 40 120 ou s o m ls s e s e u 2013

6.

Yasaman Hassan-Beigi1, Carlos Fernandes2, Mohammad Farhadinia1 & Shahabeddin Montazami3Affiliation: 1Iranian Cheetah Society, Tehran, Iran, [email protected], 2 University of Lisbon, Lisbon, Portugal, 3Department of Environment, Tehran, Iran

Keywords: Caracal, Caracal caracal, Phylogeny, Genetic diversity, subspecies, Iran,

INTRODUCTIONRanging across most of Africa and part of the Middle East, the caracal is a medium-sized member of cat family. Their light brown skin colour provides them with an increased camouflage advantage in their usual steppe or desert habitats (fig 1). Caracals are often called “siah-gush (black-eared)” or “yuzu” by the locals in some parts of Iran and are remarkably agile animals. They are mostly known for their vertical jumps and their ability to hit and hunt flying birds, sometimes as high as three meters from the ground.

DISTRIBUTION: Caracal are spread throughout most of Africa, except for the Sahara and Namib Deserts, the Congo and the equatorial forest belt of western and central Africa. Beyond Africa, the caracal is found in central Asia, southwestern Asia through the Arabian Peninsula, Israel, Turkey and extending into Turkmenistan, where the species is endangered, and as far southeast as central India (Sunquist & Sunquist 2002).

The fact that the dispersion and density of the Asian population is much less than the African one means the former requires more attention. Caracal is considered a rare animal in many parts of Asia (Breitenmoser, Henschel, and Sogbohossou, 2008; Sunquist & Sunquist, 2002). There is no specific information on the species’ status in Iran, but it is believed that its population is decreasing due to habitat destruction. In Iran, caracals are found in the arid plains and rolling hills of the central and eastern parts of the country, with an additional population in southwestern Iran (Etemad 1985, Ziaei 1996) (Fig 2).

SUBSPECIES: Globally, the caracal population has eight known sub-species worldwide and the Asian sub-species is called Caracal caracal schmitzi. A small population in Turkmenistan and northeastern Iran is called C. c. michaelis (Ellerman & Morrison-Scott 1951, Nowell & Jackson 1996). The IUCN lists C. caracal as a species of least concern, but concedes that C. c. schmitzi is unclassified and C. c. michaelis is endangered; C. c. michaelis appears to be threatened in most of its range. Paucity of available information on caracals in Iran raises the important question as to what sub-species it constitutes.

GENETIC STUDY: Iranian researchers have recently started to use molecular genetic markers for a more accurate classification of the species, however, there is still a long way to go. After finishing genetic studies on the Persian leopard in collaboration with Iranian Department of Environment and University of Tehran, the Iranian Cheetah Society (ICS) has officially started to study phylogeny and genetic diversity of the caracal since 2011. This research project, undertaken in collaboration with the Department of Environment and University of Lisbon (Portugal), covers the entire country, especially steppes and deserts.

Due to lack of information about the caracal population in Iran and the scarcity of scientific data on the genetics of the local subspecies, the present research project is aimed at answering the following questions:

1. What is the phylogenetic position of the Iranian caracal in relation to caracals elsewhere?

2. What is the genetic diversity in different geographical regions of Iran?

3. Is there any genetic structure and gene flow among caracal subpopulations in Iran?

The preliminary steps have been taken and the primers have been designed. So far, more than 30 samples have been collected and laboratory analyses are ongoing. The research aims to take samples

from as many specimens as can be found, both from Iran and the species range, particularly in west Asian countries. The specimens can be carcasses, tanned skins, taxidermies or live animals. They are then genetically examined and sequenced. These tests have the advantage of being accurate and capable of leading to unpredictable findings.

REFERENCESBreitenmoser-Wursten, C., Henschel, P. and Sogbohossou, E. 2008. Caracal caracal. In: IUCN 2012. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2012.2. <www.iucnredlist.org>. Down-loaded on 01 June 2013.

Ellerman J. R. and Morrison-Scott T.C.S. 1951. Cheklist of Palaearctic and Indian Mammals, 1758 to 1964. Trustees of the British Museum, London, 810 pp.

Etemad E. 1985: Mammals of Iran. 2nd Vol [Persian]. Iranian Department of Environment. 298pp.

Sunquist, M. and Sunquist, F. 2002. Wild cats of the World. Chicago. University of Chicago Press. pp. 37–47.

Nowell K., and Jackson P. (eds.), 1996. Wild Cats: Status Survey and Conservation Action Plan. IUCN/SSC Cat Specialist Group, 382 pp. www.globaltwitcher.com/artspec_information.asp?thingid=35844. www.redlist.org

Ziaie H., 1996: A Field Guide to the Mammals of Iran. Department of Environment, Tehran, 299 pp (in Farsi).

PHYLOGENY AND GENETIC DIVERSITY OF CARACAL IN IRAN

from as many specimens as can be found, both from

Fig 1. Caracal (Caracal caracal) in Kalmand-Bahadoran, Yazd, Iran (© Ehsan Jannati)

6.6.

samples have been collected and laboratory analyses are ongoing. The research aims to take samples

Fig 2. Caracal (Caracal caracal) in Siah-kuh protected area, Isfahan, Iran (Camera trap ©Iranian cheetah Society)



7.

Andy Beer Sparsholt College, Wiltshire, UK Email: [email protected]

Learners from across the United Arab Emirates can now study towards the Diploma in the Management of Zoos and Aquarium Animals course (DMZAA) following the successful launch of the programme earlier this year. This International Distance Learning Programme is unique to Sparsholt College who are the only provider of the qualification through its partnership with the British and Irish Association of Zoos and Aquariums (BIAZA). The College has run the course very successfully for 10 years and it is well recognised as the industry ‘gold standard’ by BIAZA (The British and Irish Association of Zoos and Aquariums) and the UK Zoo community.

In March Andy Beer, Sparsholt College’s Zoo Courses Manager, officially launched the programme at Al Bustan al Zoological Centre in the UAE. He led an ‘historic and world first’ induction programme with eight delegates from Al Bustan (4), The Breeding Centre Sharjah (2), Emirates Park Zoo in Al Bahia Abou Dabi (1) and Rome (1). All were successfully inducted and are now well on their way to completing the first year of the course. The keepers were very enthusiastic about the course and several said that they had been waiting for this type of course for several years. (The attached picture shows all eight delegates on the Induction Day).

This was the first launch of an International course of study at Sparsholt college to be validated by an awarding body and was made by possible by using LEDGE (a College devised extension to a Virtual Learning environment [VLE] Model) where all resources, assignment uploads and assessment are done on line. The delivery has involved establishing a separate DMZAA International ‘ledge’ page to ensure that electronic delivery and its distance learning mode, have all the hall marks of its current success in the UK, are enshrined in the International course from the beginning. Thus the teaching and learning resources and assessment procedures will be accessed through ‘ledge’ in an identical way to learners (keepers and aquarists) in the UK. The College has also appointed a separate assessor as a key member of the team to deliver this International course.

In addition to the induction day in year one, there is a further induction activity in year two and a time constrained test on all year one units at the end of the first academic year. All course materials and manuals are provided by Sparsholt College.

In the UK, ten learners are looked after by a regional co-ordinator who also has other duties within the Zoo where they are employed (some are educators, others registrars or Animal Curators). All learners receive 3 hours per year formal tutorial (normally face to face where a written summary of course performance and feedback is completed or alternatively via phone or e mail). These formal tutorials are phased throughout the year and occur approximately every 3 months.

As it follows the model of the UK course, City & Guilds have confirmed that upon successful completion of both years of the course, learners will be fully certificated for the units they have

DIPLOMA IN THE MANAGEMENT OF ZOOS AND AQUARIUM ANIMALS GOES INTERNATIONAL

achieved and the overall qualification will be graded at pass, merit or distinction level. Further-more, the course will also be subject to the same external quality control and scrutiny procedures that are required in all of its courses.

After the intensive induction experience, Andy was able to visit a number of Zoos to ‘spread the word’ and good progress was made via meeting influential members of the UAE Zoo community.

Potential was also identified in using this base in the UAE as a platform for marketing the College’s HE provision. All in all, this visit proved to be a very worthwhile and pioneering endeavour with good prospects of bringing this unique form of CPD for zoo professionals to other collections in the UAE and surrounding countries in 2014 when the next inductions are scheduled.

Further information can be obtained from [email protected]

achieved and the overall qualification will be

Andy Beer, Sparsholt College’s Zoo Courses Manager

7.7.

An ‘historic and world first’ induction programme with eight delegates from Al Bustan (4), The Breeding Centre Sharjah (2), Emirates Park Zoo in Al Bahia Abou Dabi (1) and Rome (1)

Sabir Bin Muzaffar Department of Biology, College of Science, United Arab Emirates University, PO Box 15551, Al Ain, UAE, [email protected]

Keywords: Socotra Cormorant, Phalacrocorax nigrogularis, satellite transmitters, GPS loggers, Temperature Depth Recorders, diving, foraging

INTRODUCTIONThe Socotra Cormorant (Phalacrocorax nigrogularis) is an iconic seabird endemic to the Arabian Gulf and the adjoining Gulf of Oman waters (Jennings 2010, BirdLife International 2012). The bulk of the global breeding population (110,000 pairs) occurs in the Arabian Gulf and many of the historic breeding colonies have either undergone substantial declines or become extinct making the species Vulnerable (BirdLife International 2012). Little is known about the foraging ecology or movement patterns of the species although individuals are known to move widely within the Arabian Gulf (Jennings 2010, Muzaffar et al. 2012, Muzaffar et al. in press). A study on the Socotra Cormorant was started on Siniya Island in 2011 to better understand the breeding biology, diet, foraging behav-iour and conservation challenges faced by the species.

METHODSAs part of this ongoing study, GPS loggers were deployed (in collaboration with Tim Cook and Peter Ryan, Percy Fitzpatrick Institute, University of Cape Town, South Africa) on 11 adult Socotra Cormo-rants in 2012 and 9 cormorants in 2013. These loggers record precise GPS coordinates at very short intervals (every five seconds) and collect vast quantities of data over short time periods (usually 2-3 days) after which the individual needs to be re-captured to download the data. With each of these cormorants, Temperature Depth Recorders were also included to better understand diving patterns. Platform Terminal Transmitters (satellite transmitters) were also placed on nine adult Socotra Cormorants in November 2013 (Fig. 1) to better understand foraging ecology during the breeding season and post-breeding dispersal. Satellite transmitters have been deployed on other cormorant species with limited success (King et al. 2000), especially since cormorants have a tendency to remove the Teflon ribbon used to harness the device. In spite of this apparent risk, deployment proceeded due to the dearth of information on post breeding dispersal.

RESULTS AND DISCUSSIONGPS loggers and TDRs generated rich data on the behaviour and ecology of the individuals. Socotra Cormorants were seen foraging considerable distances away from Siniya Island. The birds that were monitored foraged in one of three areas: (i) adjacent to the Siniya Island;(ii) adjacent to the Palm Deira area in Dubai and near Ajman; and (iii) adjacent to Al Jazirah-Al Hamra area in Ras Al Khaimah. The distances travelled by individual Socotra Cormorants ranged from 10-70 km. The Deira region appears to be important as foraging areas. Foraging away from Siniya Island could indicate local, short-term shortage (or movement) of fish shoals forcing birds to fly to the regions that are more distant (Palm Deira is about 50 km from Siniya). This is not unusual in seabirds and variation in movement indicates the movement of abundant fish shoals. Careful analysis of fishing activity, fish species in the fishery and timing of fishing must be studied in more detail to better understand the interactions between foraging of Socotra Cormorants and fisheries. Further analysis will be undertaken in the upcoming months.

Diving activity using temperature depth recorders (TDRs) showed maximum recorded depth was 25m although most dives were between 7-12m and lasted approximately 1 minute. Dive profiles were either ‘V’ or ‘U’ shaped. U-shaped dives indicated that birds were searching for fish at epiben-thic regions for some time before successfully capturing prey. V-shaped dives were slightly shallower compared to the U-Shaped dives, which generally indicate pursuit of shoals of fish.

Satellite transmitters largely corroborated the information from the GPS loggers, with records of movements along the shoreline that were as much as 78 km from Siniya island during the breeding season (Fig. 2). At the end of the season, however, birds began to disperse from the colony. Two birds moved west towards Sadiyaat Island and were last recorded foraging and roosting in the region. One bird moved northwards from Siniya and was last noted crossing the Strait of Hormutz into the Mussandam area of Oman. All the birds remained close to the shoreline presumably taking advantage of coastal fish stocks. Although the data from satellite transmitters have been over a one-month period, it has generated new information on this threatened species. Collectively, the

SATELLITE TRACKING AND FORAGING ECOLOGY OF SOCOTRA CORMORANTS (PHALACROCORAX NIGROGULARIS) BREEDING ON SINIYA ISLAND, UMM AL QUWAIN, UAE

data on diving and spatial distribution of Socotra Cormorants highlight the depth at which Socotra Cormorants feed and the foraging and roosting areas occurring along the UAE’s shoreline. Thus, protection of the species will have to incorporate areas beyond their breeding colonies that include foraging grounds as well as roosting sites in the post-breeding period.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTSFunding for this work has been provided by the Ministry of Environment and Water and the UAE University/National Research Foundation’s research grant. I thank Rob Gubiani and Sonya Benjamin for their assistance in the field during 2012 and 2013.

ReferencesBirdLife International 2012. Phalacrocorax nigrogu-laris. In: IUCN 2012. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2012.2. <www.iucnredlist.org>. Downloaded on 1 December 2013.

Jennings, M.C. 2010. Atlas of the breeding birds of Arabia. Fauna of Arabia 25: 216-221.

King, D. T., M. E. Tobin, and M. Bur. 2000. Capture and telemetry techniques for Double-crested Cormorants (Phalacrocorax auritus). Proceedings of the Vertebrate Pest Conference 19: 54-57.

Muzaffar, S.B., Gubiani R., and S. Benjamin. 2012. Reproductive performance of the Socotra Cormorant (Phalacrocorax nigrogularis) on Siniya Island, United Arab Emirates: planted trees increase hatching success. Waterbirds 35(4): 626-630.

Muzaffar, S.B., Gubiani, R., and Benjamin, S. The impact of fox and feral cat predation on breeding Socotra Cormorants. Marine Ornithology (in press)

ACKNOWLEDGMENTSACKNOWLEDGMENTSFunding for this work has been provided by the

Fig.2. Movement patterns of within a 10 day period in December showing foraging movements during breeding (northeast and southwest of Siniya Island) followed by gradual movement away from Siniya Island as it began roosting west of Jebel Ali.

data on diving and spatial distribution of Socotra

Fig.1. Socotra Cormorant with satellite transmitter immediately after release (R. Gubiani).

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FEW/FPALY NEWSLETTER RELAUNCHBy David Stanton


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The sand cat is currently listed as Near Threatened across Arabia but Endangered in the UAE and Abu Dhabi. Despite these classifications there is very little known about the sand cat across its range. Little information exists about its distribution, population size, population trend, biology and ecology. There are as few as 4 confirmed records of the sand cat in the UAE. Because of these factors Al Ain Zoo has made the sand cat a focus species in its conservation and research efforts.

To date the zoo has carried out DNA analysis on its captive population, published baseline haematology and biochemistry values on its cats, participated in cutting-edge IVF and embryo transfer research and carried out an extensive review of all available publications on sand cats.

Continuing the programme on 13-14th November 2013 Al Ain Zoo initiated and hosted the first regional One Plan conservation workshop, focussed on the Arabian sand cat. The “One Plan” approach is a recent initiative promoted by the IUCN Conservation Breeding Specialist Group (CBSG) which aims to make conservation efforts more effective and efficient by encouraging collaboration and cooperation between the ex situ and in situ conservation communities. In particular it advocates that all individuals of a species, whether in the wild or captivity, are considered as one population.

In the One Plan spirit the Arabian sand cat workshop brought together members of the in situ, ex situ and research communities to share their knowledge, data and experience to create a conservation strategy for the Arabian sand cat. The 30 delegates came from the UAE, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Jordan, Europe and the US.

Since the workshop work has already begun on gathering information for new husbandry guidelines, the creation of a sand cat library and the design of a field research project.

The workshop report and conservation strategy will be combined with a status review and will be freely available when completed.

ARABIAN SAND CAT “ONE PLAN” CONSERVATION WORKSHOP HOSTED BY AL AIN ZOOLisa Banfield Conservation Officer, Al Ain Wildlife Park and Resort. [email protected]

Al Ain Zoo would like to thank all of the delegates and their institutions for their efforts both during the workshop and since. We look forward to continuing this collaboration in the future for the benefit of the Arabian sand cat.

Sand cat ©Xavier Eichaker

Sand cat ©Xavier Eichaker

No news isn't always good news, but our long hiatus from publishing our newsletters is not an indication of inactivity. In fact, since Dr. Mohammed Al-Duais assumed the Executive Directorship of FEW/FPALY last June, our organization has been more active than ever. We are now well into our fifth year of existence and have a very committed and dedicated staff and network of volunteers around the world that continually works towards achieving our mission. Many of you will have followed our activities on our Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/yemenileopard)

which is kept vibrant and current by Australian volunteer Rasha Skybey.

For those of you who don't follow us on Facebook (or who are not one of the almost 1300 people who have "liked" us there - or even if you are!) I'm sure you are as excited as I am about the resumption of our monthly newsletter. Issue No. 38 is a collaboration between Dr. Al-Duais, our Secretary Mr. Maisara Al-Roiney, and volunteer editors in Yemen and the UAE. As the founder and former director of FEW/FPALY I am extremely pleased with the direction that the organization has assumed under the able leadership of Dr. Al-Duais and proud that FEW/FPALY continues to be the most effective conservation organization in Yemen. Mohammed works tirelessly to ensure that the organization's strategy is aligned with the best practices in conservation today and continues to work his magic with scant resources to ensure that FEW/FPALY is a noteworthy player on the global conservation stage. We are all optimistic that the conclusion of Yemen's National Dialog will eventually lead to a more stable nation, but given the uncertain security situation and other problems that currently plague this country, I think it is nothing short of miraculous that FEW/FPALY continues to make headway in its war against indifference to the future of Yemen's endangered wildlife.

You can enjoy the contents of our latest newsletter at: http://www.yemenileopard.org/files/cms/news_articles/Newsletter_38_-_ND_review_25Feb_2014.pdf

INFORMATION SOUGHT REGARDING VULTURE POISONING INCIDENTS AND POISONING THREATS TO VULTURES IN THE MIDDLE EAST

The Wildlife Disease Association (WDA) (www.wildlifedisease.org) is a well-known international scientific society of wildlife professionals; veterinarians, epidemiologists, biologists, ecologists, research scientists and other individuals working with wildlife everywhere in the world are member of this highly perceived organisation. The WDA also publishes the Journal of Wildlife Medicine, a peer reviewed magazine with the latest scientific research on wildlife related topics.

WDA was founded in 1951 in the USA with the mission to acquire, disseminate, and apply knowledge of the health and diseases of wild animals in relation to their biology, conservation, and interactions with humans and domestic animals.

The organisation is based in the US but has regional sections in Western Europe, in North Europe, in Australasia, and in South America. The African and Middle East section had been active for several years but lapsed when the driving force passed away after a tragic accident. The section had been very successful and at the last conference in Abu Dhabi in 2004 there were 100 registered participants from 25 different countries in attendance. As such, the WDA were very keen to restart their activities in this region again.

For more than a year we have been building up interest in the section by increasing contacts with the parent organisation, with the sections in other parts of the world as well as engaging people in the Middle East and in Africa that were working with wildlife and wildlife diseases.

The response was extremely positive and enthusiastic and on the 10th of December 2013, the WDA Council approved the reformation of an Africa and Middle East Section of WDA as proposed by the ad hoc committee (Dr Mike Kock, Dr Thomas Nyariki and Dr Anne-Lise Chaber). This was

later approved by the WDA International Committee in December 2013.

As requested by the council, the 3 person ad hoc committee that developed the proposal for reformation of the Africa and Middle East Section will serve in a leadership capacity for the Section until an election for officers is held.

They will select an ad hoc nominating committee to develop a slate of candidates for leadership of that Section, and hold an election by electronic ballot by May 1, 2014.

Membership to the African and Middle East section includes all persons who are members of WDA (you can register through www.wildlifedisease.org) and reside in the geographic region that includes the entire continent of Africa and those nations commonly referred to as the Middle East.

We hope to see many members from the Middle East actively joining the association and sharing crucial information on wildlife health!

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WILDLIFE DISEASE ASSOCIATION AFRICAN AND MIDDLE EAST IS NOW ACTIVE AND OPEN.

Dr Iñigo Fajardo and Dr Ngaio Richards 1Vulture Conservation Foundation (VCF), Wuhrstrasse 12, CH-8003 Zürich, Switzerland2Working Dogs for Conservation, Three Forks, Montana, 59752, United States of America; [email protected]

As part of a monograph on griffon vultures to be published in the UK in 2014, we seek information regarding whether or not deliberate poisoning, using agents such as pesticides, threatens any of the vulture species in the Middle East.

We specifically ask which species are under poisoning threat, whether they are deliberately targeted and why, or if they are victims of poisons meant for other targets (e.g. predators). We would also like to know what is used/available to poison, how easily it is obtained and if this is a longstand-ing or emerging problem.

Finally, estimates of numbers of dead vultures observed following a poisoning event would also be very useful.

Please submit all information to: [email protected] and it will be gratefully acknowledged in the chapter. If you would just like to share other threats to vultures even aside from poisoning we would be interested to know these too.

WILDLIFE DISEASE ASSOCIATION AFRICAN AND MIDDLE EAST IS NOW ACTIVE AND OPEN.

would just like to share other threats to vultures even aside from poisoning we would be interested to know these too.Poisoned vultures


The College of Science for Women in the University of Baghdad has published Iraq’s first illustrated guide to the Wild Mammals. Completely in Arabic, the field guide consists from 90 pages and discusses the identification and geographical distribution of 83 mammalian species found in Iraq. It includes 99 colour plates, perfectly illustrated by the principle author, to demonstrate the identification features of the species /subspecies; 66 sketches were made to feature the morphology of skulls; 46 plates feature the tracks of the listed species.

The guide represents the first checklist of wild mammals of Iraq and has been updated according to Wilson & Reeder’s Mammals Species of the World, 2nd edition (2005).

THE FIELD GUIDE TO THE WILD MAMMALS OF IRAQby: Omar F. Al-Sheikhly and Mukhtar K. Haba, 2014

In addition, it lists the IUCN Globally Threatened mammalian Species of Iraq. The guide will be freely and generously distributed by the College of Science for Women to the national and regional scientific, educational, and environmental institutes in order to aid further action towards the conservation of Iraqi Fauna.

according to Wilson & Reeder’s Mammals Species of the World, 2nd edition (2005).

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NEWSSaudi Arabia. Email - "Jorge Soares" ININ Of all the mammals in Arabian Peninsula, the...

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