International Fund For Houbara Conservation Showcases Wildlife Efforts At Al Ain Exhibition 2025

The International Fund for Houbara Conservation (IFHC), linked to Erth Zayed Philanthropies, is set to participate in the first Al Ain International Hunting & Equestrian Exhibition. This event will occur from 26th to 30th November 2025 at the Al Ain Convention Centre. It is held under the patronage of H.H. Sheikh Hazza bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Ruler’s Representative in the Al Ain Region.

The exhibition celebrates Al Ain as a historical and modern centre for wildlife and environmental care. IFHC will showcase a pavilion emphasising the city's pivotal role in global Houbara conservation efforts. The city hosts the Sheikh Khalifa Houbara Breeding Centre and the National Avian Research Centre, both crucial in breeding, researching, and reintroducing Asian Houbara.

A special section of the pavilion will focus on Al Ain's significance. The Abu Dhabi Houbara Conservation Program was initiated by the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan at the Al Ain Zoo in 1977. An interactive mural narrates this success story uniquely, engaging visitors with puzzles and questions about Houbara's environmental and cultural importance.

Visitors can earn a certificate by demonstrating their knowledge of Houbara's biological traits, migration paths, threats during migration, and international conservation collaborations. The pavilion also features live Houbara birds in an enclosure mimicking their natural environment. This setup offers an immersive experience for attendees.

Central to the pavilion is a display of equipment and technologies developed by IFHC centres. These tools illustrate stages of captive breeding, from collecting reproductive fluids from male birds to artificial insemination, egg incubation, hatching, care, release into the wild, and monitoring survival and adaptation.

Engaging Young Minds

Young attendees can explore the "Habour AI Platform," which educates them on Houbara's cultural and environmental significance. This platform highlights why conserving this species is crucial. IFHC aims to continue its campaign to build partnerships with falconers—key players in its mission—to promote sustainable practices and protect wildlife.

IFHC's ongoing efforts focus on preserving natural heritage for future generations through collaboration with falconers. These partnerships are vital for supporting sustainable practices that ensure wildlife protection while maintaining cultural traditions associated with falconry.

The exhibition provides a platform for IFHC to share its work and engage with various stakeholders. By showcasing its initiatives, IFHC hopes to raise awareness about conservation efforts and inspire collective action towards preserving biodiversity globally.

With inputs from WAM