‘Eyes in the desert’: two rare animals snapped in Abu Dhabi
Cameras show crested porcupine and Rueppell’s fox are alive and well
A rodent thought to be extinct in Abu Dhabi is one of two animals that have been caught on camera, bringing hope for other endangered creatures.
Camera traps installed by the Environment Agency Abu Dhabi took photos of the crested porcupine and Rueppell’s fox, which was last recorded in its database 13 years ago.
Camera traps are activated using movement sensors or light beams. They capture digital images of animals when researchers are not present and are useful to help detect rare species or estimate population size.
“This is a major find as it shows that with intensive monitoring and assessment and the use of innovative technology there could be new and exciting findings,” said Dr Shaikha Al Dhaheri, an executive director at the agency.
The crested porcupine can weigh up to 18 kilograms and is the largest rodent in the Middle East. The animal is nocturnal and hides in burrows, making it particularly difficult to see.
While there are known populations in Saudi Arabia and Oman, the crested porcupine has very few confirmed sightings in the UAE, with records coming mostly from Bedouin in the early 20th century.
The porcupine was thought to be extinct from Abu Dhabi until December last year, when the agency’s scientists found footprints and quills at a site in Al Dhafra.
Camera traps were left at the site and, within the month, the team captured images of the elusive species. This is the only known location for this species in Abu Dhabi.
Rueppell’s fox, also known as the desert fox, is one of three species found in the UAE. It is pale-coloured with large, batlike ears, a short snout and a large bushy tail.
Weighing less than 2kg, it lives in dens and feeds on small mammals, reptiles and invertebrates.
The species is considered very rare and difficult to see in the wild. The agency’s database has records of Rueppell’s fox since the early 1990s and the last confirmed sighting was in 2005.
Searching for new clues, scientists left camera traps in two places where the animal had been seen. A year later the effort paid off and one was seen in Al Dhafra.
“We believe that the rediscovery of the fox in those areas is a good sign that the habitat is well preserved naturally,” said the agency’s Pritpal Soorae.
The agency uses more than 35 camera traps to monitor sensitive habitats and newly formed protected areas.
This approach has helped the team to record more than 17 locations for Arabian sand cats in Al Dhafra.
The species was thought to be in serious decline in the wild with only a few isolated animals remaining.
The information collected on camera traps helps to formulate and develop the agency’s conservation programmes.
Rashed Al Zaabi, a mammals expert at the agency, said the authority could intervene in cases where urbanisation or other factors threatened the ecological balance and well-being of species.
“These eyes in the deserts will help in cryptic monitoring from afar to see how nature works,” Mr Al Zaabi said.