More wildlife refuges are needed to preserve a rare gecko that has suffered a “drastic” fall in numbers in the UAE, researchers have said.
The wonder gecko – which is also found in Iran, Afghanistan and Pakistan – has suffered because human activity has left populations fragmented.
In a study about the reptile's distribution around the country, the researchers said new protected areas should be set aside or existing ones expanded to help increase numbers.
The wonder gecko, Teratoscincus keyserlingii, is now "critically endangered" in the UAE, the only country in the Arabian Peninsula where it is found.
Massive development in the coastal areas...have exterminated many localities where T. keyserlingii had been previously reported
The Mohamed Bin Zayed Species Conservation Fund gave $12,000 to support the research, which has been published in the scientific journal PLOS One.
"The drastic population decline of the wonder gecko in the UAE provides particular evidence for strong anthropogenic pressures," the study said.
An author of the study, Prof Salvador Carranza, director of the Institute of Evolutionary Biology at Pompeu Fabra University in Barcelona, said "several decades of habitat destruction and fragmentation" have affected the Arabian population.
"Massive development in the coastal areas of Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Sharjah, Umm Al Quwain and Ras al Khaimah have exterminated many localities where T. keyserlingii had been previously reported and has artificially fragmented its distribution range," he said.
In the UAE, the species is mostly found within 40 kilometres of the Arabian Gulf coast, on sandy areas with some vegetation.
The UAE's 42 protected areas cover about one-sixth of the country, but the wonder gecko is found in just three – Jebel Ali and Al Marmoun Desert in Dubai and Misanad in Sharjah.
Mr Carranza said protected areas containing the wonder gecko were typically small, had little overlap with the species' overall distribution in the UAE and were near developing areas or too scattered.
In their paper, the researchers said that it would be "achievable" for protected areas to be expanded to safeguard the species locally.
They're quite a territorial species and the males can kill each other if they venture into each other's territory
They suggested the Al Marmoun Desert reserve could be expanded northwards, or new protected areas created, such as in an area in northern Abu Dhabi emirate, west of the reserve.
The researchers described protected zones as being "of critical importance" to the preservation of wild populations.
There is captive breeding of the species at centres in Abu Dhabi and Sharjah, but the research said these "must not become an excuse" for failing to preserve natural habitats.
The research included analysis of records of its distribution over time and involved taking small tissue samples from 26 wonder geckos in the UAE.
These and other samples were analysed to help understand the population structure and evolutionary history of the species locally – information that could help in its conservation.
Although critically endangered in the UAE, the wonder gecko is less threatened in other countries where it is found.
The research has been published just months after wonder geckos were relocated to the Misanad reserve before Etihad Rail began building on adjacent land in Sharjah.
In September and October last year, animals were collected by hand during nightly searches and taken, sometimes only a few hundred metres, into reserve areas without existing burrows.
"They're quite a territorial species and the males can kill each other if they venture into each other's territory," said Adrian Hudson, Middle East principal ecologist at the Anthesis consultancy.
Anthesis designed the Etihad Rail-funded relocation and carried out the operation with Sharjah’s Environment and Protected Areas Authority.
Eight wonder geckos were relocated, but Mr Hudson said the ultimate number saved would be greater.
"Some people might say it's only eight wonder geckos you're saving from being squashed by machines, but … you're conserving their offspring as well," he said.
A 1.3km gecko-proof fence was put up to stop the creatures from returning to their former home, and microchips attached to the animals so that, should a dead one be found, it could be identified.
About 350 individuals of other species, mostly more common types of gecko, were also translocated, although the main focus was on the wonder gecko.
The relocation work was not linked to the recent study, but Mr Hudson said such analyses were useful.
“The study helps with future projects when we have to do environmental impact assessments or environmental management plans. We can look at areas to see if they’ve been found there in the past,” he said.
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Naga
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What is cyberbullying?
Cyberbullying or online bullying could take many forms such as sending unkind or rude messages to someone, socially isolating people from groups, sharing embarrassing pictures of them, or spreading rumors about them.
Cyberbullying can take place on various platforms such as messages, on social media, on group chats, or games.
Parents should watch out for behavioural changes in their children.
When children are being bullied they they may be feel embarrassed and isolated, so parents should watch out for signs of signs of depression and anxiety
THE%C2%A0SPECS
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The biog
Mission to Seafarers is one of the largest port-based welfare operators in the world.
It provided services to around 200 ports across 50 countries.
They also provide port chaplains to help them deliver professional welfare services.
Living in...
This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.
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Five expert hiking tips
- Always check the weather forecast before setting off
- Make sure you have plenty of water
- Set off early to avoid sudden weather changes in the afternoon
- Wear appropriate clothing and footwear
- Take your litter home with you
More from Neighbourhood Watch
The specs: 2018 Nissan 370Z Nismo
The specs: 2018 Nissan 370Z Nismo
Price, base / as tested: Dh182,178
Engine: 3.7-litre V6
Power: 350hp @ 7,400rpm
Torque: 374Nm @ 5,200rpm
Transmission: Seven-speed automatic
Fuel consumption, combined: 10.5L / 100km
Jigra
Starring: Alia Bhatt, Vedang Raina, Manoj Pahwa, Harsh Singh
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PREMIER LEAGUE RESULTS
Bournemouth 1 Manchester City 2
Watford 0 Brighton and Hove Albion 0
Newcastle United 3 West Ham United 0
Huddersfield Town 0 Southampton 0
Crystal Palace 0 Swansea City 2
Manchester United 2 Leicester City 0
West Bromwich Albion 1 Stoke City 1
Chelsea 2 Everton 0
Tottenham Hotspur 1 Burnley 1
Liverpool 4 Arsenal 0
Infiniti QX80 specs
Engine: twin-turbocharged 3.5-liter V6
Power: 450hp
Torque: 700Nm
Price: From Dh450,000, Autograph model from Dh510,000
Available: Now
MATCH DETAILS
Chelsea 4
Jorginho (4 pen, 71 pen), Azpilicueta (63), James (74)
Ajax 4
Abraham (2 og), Promes (20). Kepa (35 og), van de Beek (55)
Conflict, drought, famine
Estimates of the number of deaths caused by the famine range from 400,000 to 1 million, according to a document prepared for the UK House of Lords in 2024.
It has been claimed that the policies of the Ethiopian government, which took control after deposing Emperor Haile Selassie in a military-led revolution in 1974, contributed to the scale of the famine.
Dr Miriam Bradley, senior lecturer in humanitarian studies at the University of Manchester, has argued that, by the early 1980s, “several government policies combined to cause, rather than prevent, a famine which lasted from 1983 to 1985. Mengistu’s government imposed Stalinist-model agricultural policies involving forced collectivisation and villagisation [relocation of communities into planned villages].
The West became aware of the catastrophe through a series of BBC News reports by journalist Michael Buerk in October 1984 describing a “biblical famine” and containing graphic images of thousands of people, including children, facing starvation.
Band Aid
Bob Geldof, singer with the Irish rock group The Boomtown Rats, formed Band Aid in response to the horrific images shown in the news broadcasts.
With Midge Ure of the band Ultravox, he wrote the hit charity single Do They Know it’s Christmas in December 1984, featuring a string of high-profile musicians.
Following the single’s success, the idea to stage a rock concert evolved.
Live Aid was a series of simultaneous concerts that took place at Wembley Stadium in London, John F Kennedy Stadium in Philadelphia, the US, and at various other venues across the world.
The combined event was broadcast to an estimated worldwide audience of 1.5 billion.
The specs
- Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
- Power: 640hp
- Torque: 760nm
- On sale: 2026
- Price: Not announced yet
Sweet%20Tooth
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Groom and Two Brides
Director: Elie Semaan
Starring: Abdullah Boushehri, Laila Abdallah, Lulwa Almulla
Rating: 3/5
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360Vuz PROFILE
Date started: January 2017
Founder: Khaled Zaatarah
Based: Dubai and Los Angeles
Sector: Technology
Size: 21 employees
Funding: $7 million
Investors: Shorooq Partners, KBW Ventures, Vision Ventures, Hala Ventures, 500Startups, Plug and Play, Magnus Olsson, Samih Toukan, Jonathan Labin
if you go
Getting there
Etihad (Etihad.com), Emirates (emirates.com) and Air France (www.airfrance.com) fly to Paris’ Charles de Gaulle Airport, from Abu Dhabi and Dubai respectively. Return flights cost from around Dh3,785. It takes about 40 minutes to get from Paris to Compiègne by train, with return tickets costing €19. The Glade of the Armistice is 6.6km east of the railway station.
Staying there
On a handsome, tree-lined street near the Chateau’s park, La Parenthèse du Rond Royal (laparenthesedurondroyal.com) offers spacious b&b accommodation with thoughtful design touches. Lots of natural woods, old fashioned travelling trunks as decoration and multi-nozzle showers are part of the look, while there are free bikes for those who want to cycle to the glade. Prices start at €120 a night.
More information: musee-armistice-14-18.fr ; compiegne-tourisme.fr; uk.france.fr
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Gertrude Bell's life in focus
A feature film
At one point, two feature films were in the works, but only German director Werner Herzog’s project starring Nicole Kidman would be made. While there were high hopes he would do a worthy job of directing the biopic, when Queen of the Desert arrived in 2015 it was a disappointment. Critics panned the film, in which Herzog largely glossed over Bell’s political work in favour of her ill-fated romances.
A documentary
A project that did do justice to Bell arrived the next year: Sabine Krayenbuhl and Zeva Oelbaum’s Letters from Baghdad: The Extraordinary Life and Times of Gertrude Bell. Drawing on more than 1,000 pieces of archival footage, 1,700 documents and 1,600 letters, the filmmakers painstakingly pieced together a compelling narrative that managed to convey both the depth of Bell’s experience and her tortured love life.
Books, letters and archives
Two biographies have been written about Bell, and both are worth reading: Georgina Howell’s 2006 book Queen of the Desert and Janet Wallach’s 1996 effort Desert Queen. Bell published several books documenting her travels and there are also several volumes of her letters, although they are hard to find in print. Original documents are housed at the Gertrude Bell Archive at the University of Newcastle, which has an online catalogue.
Avatar: Fire and Ash
Director: James Cameron
Starring: Sam Worthington, Sigourney Weaver, Zoe Saldana
Rating: 4.5/5
BMW M5 specs
Engine: 4.4-litre twin-turbo V-8 petrol enging with additional electric motor
Power: 727hp
Torque: 1,000Nm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 10.6L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh650,000
THE SPECS
Engine: 1.5-litre turbocharged four-cylinder
Transmission: Constant Variable (CVT)
Power: 141bhp
Torque: 250Nm
Price: Dh64,500
On sale: Now
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League quarter-final, second leg (first-leg score)
Porto (0) v Liverpool (2), Wednesday, 11pm UAE
Match is on BeIN Sports
The specs
Engine: 2.5-litre, turbocharged 5-cylinder
Transmission: seven-speed auto
Power: 400hp
Torque: 500Nm
Price: Dh300,000 (estimate)
On sale: 2022