Rare fox spotted on camera in UAE’s Wadi Wurayah Park

Caught on Camera: Elusive Blanford’s Fox spotted in UAE’s Wadi Wurayah National Park

ABU DHABI: The elusive Blanford’s Fox has been recently captured on camera through the Notice Nature initiative, a unique wildlife mapping project in the UAE. This initiative, launched by Mashreq in collaboration with Emirates Nature-WWF, aims to evaluate the conservation status of key species and protect the UAE’s rich biodiversity. The project is supported by the Fujairah Environment Authority.

Notice Nature engages various communities, including families, organisations, and youth, in environmental conservation. Participants, known as ‘citizen scientists,’ contribute to this effort by working alongside experts to gather and analyse data. They help install and maintain motion-sensing cameras in Wadi Wurayah, the UAE’s first mountain protected area, managed by the Fujairah Environment Authority.

These cameras, triggered by movement and equipped with infrared light, capture wildlife activity both day and night. This non-intrusive method is particularly useful for monitoring shy species like the Blanford’s Fox. The images captured provide valuable insights into the state of biodiversity, underscoring the importance of protected areas.

Muna Al Ghurair, Group Head of Marketing & Corporate Communications at Mashreq, highlighted that the sightings of Blanford’s Fox in Wadi Wurayah affirm the significance of their conservation efforts. She noted that this data enhances understanding of the UAE’s ecosystems, helping to address the impacts of urbanisation, pollution, and climate change. Since January 2023, over 550 participants have collected more than 3,200 observations.

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Dr. Andrew Gardner, Associate Director of Biodiversity Conservation at Emirates Nature-WWF, expressed excitement over the clear images of the rare Blanford’s Fox. He emphasised that such records are crucial for understanding the species’ distribution and status, contributing to the conservation management of rare species in the UAE mountains.