The Environmental Atlas of Abu Dhabi Emirate

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G AZELLE , O RYX & L EOPARD D ISTRIBUTION

Ra's al- Khaimah

Umm al-Qaiwain

The Sand Gazelle ( Gazella subgutturosa marica ), Arabian Mountain Gazelle ( Gazella gazella cora ) and Arabian Oryx ( Oryx leucoryx ) are ungulates (hoofed animals) from the family Bovidae that occupy the Arabian Peninsula either as part of wild herds or as part of

captive breeding or reintroduction programmes. These species, once widespread in the Arabian Peninsula, now survive in limited numbers in a few isolated parts of their former ranges.

Ajman

Sharjah

Qatar

Dubai

Mkasib Arabian Mountain Gazelle ( Gazella gazella cora ) Mountain Gazelles were once distributed widely across the entire Arabian Peninsula, including Jordan, Lebanon and Syria (the Levant), and probably into the Egyptian Sinai. Currently, western populations remain only in tiny and scattered remnants along the Red Sea coastline with a local concentration on the Farasan Islands. Slightly larger populations are found along the coast and mountains of Yemen, Oman and the UAE. Results from recent genetic studies indicate that the Mountain Gazelles from the Arabian Peninsula region are generally differentiated from the Mountain Gazelles found in the Levant. In the Emirate of Abu Dhabi, Arabian Mountain Gazelles are currently confined to the north-east and coastal areas, especially in the desert between Taweela and Sweihan. Across their range the Arabian Mountain Gazelle population is estimated to be less than 15,000; approximately 1,500–2,500 individuals are thought to occur in Abu Dhabi Emirate. The typical Arabian Mountain Gazelle is slender with a long neck and legs. The coat is brown on the back, neck and head, while its underside and backside are pure white. Where water is scarce, the Gazelle will dig for bulbs, corms and other succulent subterranean plants to improve their water balance.

Arabian Oryx ( Oryx leucoryx) The Arabian Oryx is a stocky, pure white Antelope with prominent dark blue-black face markings and two long straight horns. It is exceptionally well adapted to the harsh desert environment and can survive for months without drinking water. It became extinct in the wild in 1972 due to over-hunting and habitat degradation. It survives today only as a result of captive breeding programmes. The historical range of the Oryx included the northern part of the Arabian Peninsula (including the western part of the UAE in the Manasir, Dhafra, and Liwa areas) and extended into Palestine, Syria, Jordan and Iraq. The UAE is currently host to the largest number of Arabian Oryx in the world, estimated at around 4,000 animals. Protected areas have been established to reintroduce Oryx in the wild and establish self-sustaining populations. This map displays the home range of released Arabian Oryx in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi.

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Shwaib

Abu Dhabi

Qaffay

A r a b i a n G u l f

Muhayyimat

Sweihan

Ghaghah

Musaffah

Sir Bani Yas

Bani Yas

Yahir

Al Ain

Jebel Dhanna

Al Wathba Wetland Reserve

Al-Sulaimat

Remah

Ghuweifat

Ruwais

Mirfa

Sila'a

Al Hamra

Az Zahir

Tarif

Mezyed

Abu Dhabi Western Region

Houbara Protected Area

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Al Arad

Sand Gazelle ( Gazella subgutturosa marica ) A subspecies of the Goitred Gazelle, this

Al Ain Abu Dhabi

Ghayathi

Habshan

Bid al-Mutawa

Madinat Zayed

Al Wijan ungulate gets its name from the enlarged goitre- like swelling on its throat that the males use during the breeding season to emit large bellows. The Sand Gazelle was once common in the Arabian Peninsula, Turkey, Iran, Iraq, Afghanistan and Pakistan, and from central Asia to western China and southern Mongolia. On the Arabian Peninsula, over-hunting, habitat degradation and fragmentation, and competition for food with domestic sheep and goat, has resulted in small remnant populations that are isolated from one another. In the Emirate of Abu Dhabi, this species is found in the sandy deserts of the south-east. The Island of Sir Bani Yas hosts an estimated 15,000 Sand Gazelle (not free ranging) . The wild population of Sand Gazelle in the Emirate is estimated to be around 10,000 animals. Al Qua'a

Oman A RABIAN L EOPARD D ISTRIBUTION

Saudi Arabia

The Arabian Leopard ( Panthera pardus nimr ) is thought to be extinct in the UAE due to habitat encroachment and a decline in available prey. Evidence of the large cat was last seen in Fujairah’s Wadi Wurayah in 1999. Within Abu Dhabi, potential habitat

Bu Hasa

Al Bida'a

Bu Nekhela

Roads

historically existed at Jebel Hafit, although no record of the species occurring there today exists.

Arabian Oryx Protected Area

Large/Medium Towns Small Towns Wildlife Ranger Stations Dual Carriageway Single Carriageway/Graded

Al Ramla

Shah

Mouzaira'a

United Arab Emirates

Arabian Leopard Distribution

Khannur

Al Delfawiyah

Liwa

Al Ain Western Region

Orxy Release Site

Oman

Mibaraz

Regions

Qiesah

Aradah

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Mountain Gazelle Range Arabian Oryx Range Sand Gazelle Range Special Conservation Areas Terrestrial Protected Areas Terrestrial Protected Area

Hamim

Hamim

Though categorised by IUCN as “Critically Endangered” in 2010, conservation measures and captive breeding efforts, such as the programme at the Breeding Centre for Endangered Arabian Wildlife in Sharjah, established in 1997, are aimed at protecting the genetics of one of the Arabian peninsula’s most vulnerable species.

Hilat Assalm

Umm Az-Zumul

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40 Kilometres

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