Programme to protect Houbara bustard named in honour of Shaikh Khalifa

As part of UAE National Day celebrations, the project for the release of the endangered Houbara bustard has been named after His Highness Shaikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan. The endangered bird is now known as the Shaikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Houbara Reintroduction Project, it was announced by the International Fund for Houbara Conservation (IFHC) on Tuesday. In its efforts to conserve the Houbara bustard in line with national traditions, IFHC's work symbolises the spirit of the nation as the UAE celebrates its fortieth anniversary. Conservation programme IFHC's projects are a continuation of the efforts begun over 30 years ago by the late President, Shaikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan, who had the foresight to establish a captive breeding and conservation programme to ensure that sustainable populations of the Houbara species continues to exist in our world. Khalifa is ensuring the legacy of the late Shaikh Zayed through a project which breeds and releases Asian Houbara into the wild to restore sustainable wild populations in the UAE. 50,000 target for breeding and releasing The global future target is for 50,000 Asian and North African Houbara to be bred and released throughout the species range countries each year. On this occasion, Mohammad Saleh Al Baidani, Director General IFHC, said: "The Houbara is an important part of our tradition and heritage. The Spirit of the Nation is about what binds us together as a community, celebrates our culture and ensures a legacy for future generations, and IFHC's work symbolises this spirit. We have to praise the vision of the late Shaikh Zayed and the leadership of President Shaikh Khalifa in taking forward this legacy, and we are hopeful that the results of the Shaikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Houbara Reintroduction Project will bring back sustainable resident and migrant populations of the Houbara to the UAE".