Latest news with #ArabianSpottedEagleOwl
Gulf Insider
06-06-2025
- Gulf Insider
sharjah-boosts-eid-al-adha-travel-services
The Sharjah Roads and Transport Authority (SRTA) has unveiled a comprehensive transport plan for the Eid Al Adha 2025 holiday (June 5–8), ensuring residents and visitors enjoy safe, smooth, and stress-free travel during the festive break. With a surge in travel expected across Sharjah and beyond, SRTA will operate 180 buses across the emirate, delivering more than 5,600 trips across four days. To manage the holiday rush, bus frequency will increase to every five minutes during peak hours, down from the usual 45 minutes, dramatically reducing wait times for passengers. Engineer Yousef Khamis Al Othmani, the head of the SRTA, highlighted the importance of being well-prepared during holidays. In Sharjah City, the Authority will run 1,144 daily trips across 12 routes with 104 buses covering 543 stops, making travel between neighbourhoods faster and more efficient. Additional staff will be deployed at key stations, particularly Jubail Bus Station, which will remain open from early morning until late evening. In a major highlight for intercity travellers, a special boat service between Sharjah and Dubai will operate four times daily during Eid. Departing from Sharjah's Aquarium Station and arriving at Al Ghubaiba Station in Dubai, the marine route is a collaboration between SRTA and Dubai's Roads and Transport Authority, offering scenic and efficient transport between the emirates. SRTA is also working with Oman's national transport company, Mwasalat, to operate international route 203. This bus service connects the Emirate to Muscat, Oman's capital, with two daily trips from Jubail Station to Al Athaiba in Muscat, stopping at several destinations along the route. Tickets are available online via Mwasalat's official website or at local service read: UAE: 3 Rare Arabian Spotted Eagle Owl Babies Hatch in Sharjah
Gulf Insider
02-06-2025
- Gulf Insider
Etihad Airways Flight Diverted Due to Medical Emergency
An Etihad Airways flight from New Delhi, India to Abu Dhabi was diverted to Muscat due to a medical emergency, the airline said on Sunday, June 1. The UAE's flagship carrier said that a passenger on board required immediate medical attention and the flight EY213 from Indira Gandhi International Airport to Zayed International Airport was diverted to the Omani capital. 'We apologise for the disruption to the flight and our teams are doing their best to help you on your journey,' the airline said in a Airways stressed that the safety and comfort of passengers and crew remains the airline's top priority, and expressed regret for any inconvenience caused by the diversion. 'We apologise for the disruption to the flight and our teams are doing their best to help you on your journey,' it added. Also read: UAE: 3 Rare Arabian Spotted Eagle Owl Babies Hatch in Sharjah
Gulf Insider
02-06-2025
- Science
- Gulf Insider
3 Rare Arabian Spotted Eagle Owl Babies Hatch in Sharjah
In a rare and heartwarming event, three Arabian Spotted Eagle Owl chicks hatched at the Kalba Birds of Prey Centre, the Environment and Protected Areas Authority of Sharjah announced. This particular species — rarely found in the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Oman and Yemen — originates from Africa. The centre said the event 'marks a milestone' in the captive breeding programme for birds of prey, which aims to 'protect rare species from extinction and rehabilitate them in their natural environments'. Take a look at one of the baby chicks. The first time the species of this owl was found in the UAE was in 2003, after a donor from Dibba gifted it to the Dubai Zoo, claiming it was from the Dibba mountains. In the beginning, the staff did not take much notice of it, but after some time they realised it looked different in appearance than other chicks of the Desert Eagle-Owl owl. Meanwhile, according to the World Wildlife Fund, the Arabian Eagle Owl (Bubo africanus milesi) — part of the same family — was first discovered in 2017 in Fujairah's Hajar Mountains. At the time, Jacky Judas, Manager & Scientific Advisor of Terrestrial Biodiversity, EWS-WWF, had said that despite the UAE's hot and arid climate, a 'wide variety of resilient and fascinating species thrive in our deserts and mountain areas'. 'Unfortunately, the rapid pace of development has become a major threat to many of these creatures. Thus, it is crucial — now more than ever— that we ramp up collective efforts to protect and safeguard key habitats and endangered species, all of which constitute the UAE's rich natural heritage,' Jacky had said at the time. He continued: 'If a large bird, 45cm in height, weighing 600 to 800g — even if nocturnal and elusive — went unnoticed up to the beginning of the 21st century, what about much smaller species of animals and plants, or under-surveyed taxonomic groups? We have very little doubt that so much more is still to be found in the Hajar Mountains.' In August of last year, a Mediterranean Gull was spotted for the first time in 28 years at Dubai's Ras Al Khor Wildlife Sanctuary. Over the past quarter-century, there have been only 15 recorded sightings in the country, with nine in Abu Dhabi, four in Dubai, and two in Sharjah. Another rare species of bird was also spotted that year. The red-footed Booby was seen in Abu Dhabi. One of the rarest and smallest species of Booby, the creature is found on the coasts and islands of tropical regions. It is very rare to see it in the Arabian Gulf region due to the absence of resident groups in the UAE. Meanwhile in 2019, the Arabian Caracal (Caracal schmitzi) was sighted on Jebel Hafeet National Park in Al Ain. The medium-sized, sand-coloured cat with characteristically elongated, tufted black ears was last seen in Abu Dhabi in 1984. Also read: UAE Weather: Rise In Temperatures Across The Country, High Humidity And Rough Sea Alert
Khaleej Times
01-06-2025
- General
- Khaleej Times
UAE: 3 rare Arabian spotted eagle owl babies hatch in Sharjah
In a rare and heartwarming event, three Arabian Spotted Eagle Owl chicks hatched at the Kalba Birds of Prey Centre, the Environment and Protected Areas Authority of Sharjah announced. This particular species — rarely found in the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Oman and Yemen — originates from Africa. The centre said the event "marks a milestone" in the captive breeding programme for birds of prey, which aims to "protect rare species from extinction and rehabilitate them in their natural environments". Take a look at one of the baby chicks. The first time the species of this owl was found in the UAE was in 2003, after a donor from Dibba gifted it to the Dubai Zoo, claiming it was from the Dibba mountains. In the beginning, the staff did not take much notice of it, but after some time they realised it looked different in appearance than other chicks of the Desert Eagle-Owl owl. Meanwhile, according to the World Wildlife Fund, the Arabian Eagle Owl (Bubo africanus milesi) — part of the same family — was first discovered in 2017 in Fujairah's Hajar Mountains. At the time, Jacky Judas, Manager & Scientific Advisor of Terrestrial Biodiversity, EWS-WWF, had said that despite the UAE's hot and arid climate, a "wide variety of resilient and fascinating species thrive in our deserts and mountain areas". "Unfortunately, the rapid pace of development has become a major threat to many of these creatures. Thus, it is crucial — now more than ever— that we ramp up collective efforts to protect and safeguard key habitats and endangered species, all of which constitute the UAE's rich natural heritage," Jacky had said at the time. He continued: 'If a large bird, 45cm in height, weighing 600 to 800g — even if nocturnal and elusive — went unnoticed up to the beginning of the 21st century, what about much smaller species of animals and plants, or under-surveyed taxonomic groups? We have very little doubt that so much more is still to be found in the Hajar Mountains.' Recent rare appearances In August of last year, a Mediterranean Gull was spotted for the first time in 28 years at Dubai's Ras Al Khor Wildlife Sanctuary. Over the past quarter-century, there have been only 15 recorded sightings in the country, with nine in Abu Dhabi, four in Dubai, and two in Sharjah. Another rare species of bird was also spotted that year. The red-footed Booby was seen in Abu Dhabi. One of the rarest and smallest species of Booby, the creature is found on the coasts and islands of tropical regions. It is very rare to see it in the Arabian Gulf region due to the absence of resident groups in the UAE. Meanwhile in 2019, the Arabian Caracal (Caracal schmitzi) was sighted on Jebel Hafeet National Park in Al Ain. The medium-sized, sand-coloured cat with characteristically elongated, tufted black ears was last seen in Abu Dhabi in 1984.
