Events

Deer & Houbara Release Programme In Sheikh Mohamed Bin Zayed Al-Nahyan Conservation Breeding Centre, Lal Suhanra National Park, Bahawalpur On 18th March, 2015

General:

Late H.H Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan (May his soul rest in peace) sponsored the first ever Deer Breeding Centre at Rahim Yar Khan on 5000 acres of land.

Recently, with the sponsorship of International Fund for Houbara Conservation (IFHC), a Deer & Houbara Research & Breeding Centre has been established on 14,000 acres of desert land in Lal Suhanra National Park, Bahawalpur. 

The Late H.H Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan initiated the Houbara Breeding Programme in UAE at National Avian Research Centre (NARC) & International Fund for Houbara Conservation in 1970’s, to provide sustainable future for the Houbara Bustard. Implementing of his vision by H.H Shiekh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the President of UAE, and H.H Sheikh Muhammad bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, has created ripples in a four decades history of Houbara Breeding, by breeding & releasing 40,011 Houbara in 2013 which is now close to achieving its objective of producing 50,000 Houbara every year.   

Deer & Houbara Release Programme:     

On 18th March, 2015 International Fund for Houbara Conservation (IFHC) UAE along with Houbara Foundation International Pakistan and Deer Foundation International Pakistan released 600 Houbara Bustard, 250 Chinkara Gazelle and 50 Black Buck in the recently built 16 km x 4 km enclosure of Lal Suhanra National Park, Bahawalpur. These 600 Houbara were bred in UAE by the International Fund for Houbara Conservation (IFHC) Abu Dhabi, and were brought for release, whereas 250 Chinkara Gazelle were bred in H.H Sheikh Zayed Deer Breeding Centre, Rahim Yar Khan and 50 Black Buck were provided by the Government of Punjab (Forests & Wildlife Department).

These 600 Houbara were bred under highly specialised care and were well prepared to manage themselves in the wild. All the birds were individually tagged with rings (Metal+ Darvic) which would help in identifying the birds. Thirty birds were tagged with Agro-GPS transmitters for scientist to carry out monitoring of the birds after release and record their movements, habitat preference and ability to breed. Since the birds are of the blood line of Pakistan’s resident Houbara population, it is hoped that most of these birds will settle for breeding to reinforce the Pakistani resident Houbara population. 

By 2004 the number of Chinkara in H.H Shiekh Zayed Deer Breeding Centre, Rahim Yar Khan established in 1998 by the Late H.H Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan with a handful of Chinkara increased up to 4000 numbers, which were enough to be released in Deer Habitats of Punjab, Sindh, Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtun Khwa. Accordingly, the animals have been translocated to all provinces.     

In the Cholistan Desert, the population of Chinkara had dwindled to insignificance in 2004, but with release of these animals in this desert, their population multiplied and brought back to life the depleting tobbas (water ponds) of the desert. Now, the Cholistan Desert boasts of a large number of Chinkara offering delightful views of the animals resting, feeding and moving across the vast desert landscape. Similarly, proliferation has been observed in the habitats of Sindh, Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtun Khwa as well, where these Chinkara were translocated from Rahim Yar Khan.   

The release of 600 Houbara, 250 Chinkara Gazelle and 50 Black Buck will certainly restore their wild population in the habitats of Pakistan.