The hawksbill turtle, fin whale, saker falcon, green turtle and Arabian oryx may soon join the Arabian wolf on the list of animals never to be seen again in the UAE if more efforts are not made to save them, according to the World Conservation Union's (IUCN) Red List 2006.
The hawksbill turtle is the most at risk and has been rated as "critically endangered without improvement" since 1996.
The report says that the turtles have seen an 80 per cent decrease in their numbers over the past 20 to 40 years.
The other animals, such as the saker falcon, are one step below on the list.
"This species [falcon] qualifies as endangered because it has undergone a very rapid population decline, particularly on the Central Asian breeding grounds, owing to inadequately controlled capture for the falconry trade," the report states.
The oryx is also at grave risk, the report reveals.
The species' population, spread between Saudi Arabia and Oman, is on the decline "due to illegal live-capture for private collections, and a steady increase in the size of the two reintroduced populations in Saudi Arabia".
The reduction in the number of oryx has been recorded at more than 11 per cent and the IUCN warns of a further 20 per cent decline within the next five years if the animal smuggling and hunting are not tackled.
The green turtle has seen a 48 per cent to 67 per cent decline in its numbers over the past three decades.
"Because many of the threats that have led to these declines are not reversible and have not yet ceased, it is evident that green turtles face a measurable risk of extinction," the report warns.
The fin whale has also seen a massive decline due to global whaling, with some 750,000 ani mals killed in the southern hemisphere between 1904 and 1979 alone.
While the UAE's share of endangered species is said to be at the level of the global average, the IUCN has urged more from the country besides its "remarkable efforts to conserve the environment [and] protect wildlife" .
By Zarina Khan
© Emirates Today 2006
