Variety of animals here Unique wildlife calls Yemen home [Archives:2003/03/Last Page]

BY MAHYOUB AL-KAMALI
YEMEN TIMES STAFF
Yemen is gifted with rare wildlife in the Arab Peninsula.
Preserving and protecting the wildlife constitutes a tourist and economical resource for the country. This will make the country a magnet for environmental studies and scientific research.
Field visits and surveys have indicated that around 70 species of wildlife are found in Yemen where other countries don’t have the same.
Five kinds of Gazelles are found in Yemen such as, the Arab Gazelle which lives in the acacia and savanna environment.
In the eastern regions of the country, animals such as the ibex live in the mountain slopes.
Monkeys still live in groups in different areas and near water springs. But the majority of monkeys are extinct due to the water scarcity.
Among the common animals that have been found is the red fox and stripped hyena that feeds on the meat the dead animals.
Four other kinds of foxes are found in Yemen, such as the sand fox which has a very long ears and has a very small body.
Five species of wild cats are under the threat of extinction along with the Arabic tiger in some of the rocky mountain slopes.
The presenters of the National Bio-diversity Plan said that the leopard in Yemen might now be extinct. It has been last seen in 1963 in Meetan Valley in the south of country.
Birds
Yemen is regarded as one of those countries that is rich in bird life. More than 363 different kinds of birds have been recorded in Yemen. This is attributed to the biological and climate bio-diversity.
Among them are the Abu Manjal bird which can be found around the city of Taiz and the white seabird which can be found in the coastal areas.
There are other different kinds of birds such as the eagle.
Yemeni bird life has gained the focus of the attention of those interested in birds.
The majority of birds live in the mountain heights, including the nightingale, Arabian golden sparrow and Philby’s rock partridge
Five seabirds have been recorded in Yemen such as, red-beak tropical bird and the seabird which can be found on the Red Sea and on coasts of the Yemeni islands.
Around 220 migratory birds have been recorded in Yemen during the winter season.
Different rare bird species live in the fresh water, such as ducks and grebes.
The concerned bodies interested in the biological bio-diversity have to realize the great significance of the wildlife considering it is part of Yemen’s identity.

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