Al Ain,July 13th,2007 (WAM) -- In a major wildlife conservationeffort, Al Ain Zoo has bred the endangered sand cats in captivity,The Gulf Today reported today.

Four kittens of this species fast disappearing due to loss ofhabitat and declining preying possibilities are now under thecare of zoo keepers at the country's biggest wildlife park.

Mark Craig, director of the zoo said the birth of the sand catmarks the zoo's commitment to conservation and is part of a seriesof initiatives recently undertaken by the zoo. "The successfulbreeding of the sand cat is a significant achievement in thelong term conservation of this threatened species. It also confirmsthat the zoo provides the optimum environment and overall husbandrytechniques to achieve this success."He said the four-week old cats are now at the New Nocturnal Housefor visitors and wildlife enthusiasts toview them from closerange through the glass viewing area.

Zoologists have always seen sand cats as a difficult speciesto keep in captivity. The smaller member of the cat family inArabia, the sand cat stands 26 cms at the shoulder and weighup to three kilos.

They inhabit stony and sandy desert terrain where temperaturesrange from -5 degrees C to 58 degrees C making it one of theroughest in the Arabian cat family that can endure all kindsof climatic seasons.

They are efficient nocturnal hunters that burrow into the sanddunes to escape the heat of the day acquiring all their moisturefrom their prey. Sand cats are hard to spot as they frequentisolated desert areas and remain far from water sources. Theyonly come together for breeding, thus accurate numbers of thespecies have yet to be determined.

The birth of the Arabian sand cat is seen as an evidence ofwhatcan be achieved when conservation is a priority and high husbandrytechniques are achieved.

Majid Al Mansouri, managing director of Al Ain Zoo said, "Theconservation of endangered species, such as the Sand Cat, hasbecome a major priority for the long term strategy of Al AinZoo. The captive breeding expertise and resources available atthe zoo will assist significantly in our development to becomea wildlife conservation centre within Abu Dhabi." In addition,under the supervision of its director, the zoo will also contributeto nature conservation by being part of conservation actionsalongside the Abu Dhabi Environment Agency.

In April 2007, the zoo, in partnership with the Abu Dhabi EnvironmentAgency, released a number of Arabian Oryx to their natural habitatas part of its reintroduction programme in the UAE. Other speciesthat will be part of a conservationcaptive breeding programmeand possible reintroduction in the future to North Africa includethe Scimitar horned Oryx and Addax, both critically endangereddesert antelopes.