Since its initial appearance in the country’s mountains in 1995, the fox has only been occasionally observed. One of the most recent species that has been captured on camera as part of the Notice Nature initiative is the elusive Blanford’s Fox, which is listed as “vulnerable” (VU) on both the UAE National Red List and the Arabia Regional Red List.
This wildlife mapping project aims to support efforts to preserve and restore the UAE’s diverse biodiversity and assess the conservation status of key species.
A movement detecting camera in Watercourse Wurayah Public Park caught pictures of this uncommon little fox, alongside different species such Brandt’s hedgehog and Red Fox, birds like Hume’s wheatear as well as wild jackasses and goats.
During their exclusive citizen science field trips within the park, the Emirati scientists of Leaders of Change have also spotted numerous species, including the endangered Arabian tahr, snakes, dragonflies, geckos, scorpions, praying mantises, beetles, spiders, Arabian toads, grasshoppers, and more.
Originally released in 1995 Since its first appearance in the UAE’s mountains in 1995, a Blandford’s fox has only been occasionally observed. It only lives at night and primarily eats insects, fruits, and rodents like spiny mice and Wagner’s gerbils. Adult Blandford’s foxes weigh approximately 3 kilograms and are small foxes. From head to tail, they are about 70 to 90 cm long. They have bushy, long tails with almost as long dark guard hairs as their bodies and large, long ears.
They can have a white or black tip to their tail. They are able to jump three meters vertically onto ledges and live in wadis and other rocky mountain areas. Males and females look the same, but males have forelegs and bodies that are three to six percent longer than females. The way things were caught on camera As part of the “Notice Nature” project, motion sensor cameras were installed in the mountain protected area.
The cameras use infrared light to operate day or night and are triggered by movement. They provide a method of wildlife monitoring that is non-intrusive, particularly shy species like the Blanford’s Fox. Notice Nature is a wildlife mapping project started by Mashreq and Emirates Nature-WWF (World Wildlife Fund) with the goal of documenting and evaluating the conservation status of important species in the UAE.
It is also a part of Mashreq’s global Climb2Change initiative, which brings together citizen scientists, corporations, NGOs, and the government to protect the UAE’s abundant biodiversity.
Wadi Wurayah National Park, the only terrestrial protected area in Fujairah, has a total area of 225 square kilometers and covers more than 20% of the emirate’s total area. The project is being carried out in collaboration with the Fujairah Environment Authority.
According to project managers, “These animal-spotting activities provide valuable insight into the state of biodiversity and affirm the importance and effectiveness of designating protected areas to conserve wildlife.”
Citizen scientists’ purpose Through Emirates Nature-WWF’s Leaders of Change program, Notice Nature provides opportunities for various UAE communities, including families, organizations, decision-makers, and youth, to directly participate in environmental conservation as “citizen scientists.” Utilizing scientific instruments and assisting in the installation and upkeep of motion-sensing cameras at select UAE locations, Emirati scientists collaborate with experts and specialists to collect and analyze valuable data that informs conservation strategies.
“The recent photographs of the elusive Blanford’s Fox in Wadi Wurayah National Park are a testament to the importance of our environmental conservation efforts,” stated Muna Al Ghurair, group head of marketing and corporate communications at Mashreq. These sightings help us comprehend and preserve our individual wildlife and provide crucial insights into the UAE’s extensive biodiversity.
“We collect crucial information about our nation’s biodiversity using both basic and advanced scientific methods.” She continued, “This data not only enables us to address the detrimental effects of urbanization, pollution, and climate change on the country’s flora and fauna, but it also expands our knowledge of the UAE’s diverse ecosystems.”
Al Ghurair noted that there have been over 550 participants and over 3,200 observations since January 2023. She emphasized:
“In accordance with our Climb2Change strategic vision, we aim to gather valuable data, inspire a collective sense of wonder, and foster a shared responsibility for environmental stewardship across our communities through the Notice Nature initiative.”
Dr. For his part, Andrew Gardner, Emirates Nature-WWF’s associate director of biodiversity conservation, said, “We are excited to capture such clear images of the rare and secretive Blanford’s Fox.” Since these animals are rarely seen, each record provides new information about the species’ distribution and status.” “We are confident that we will be able to collect additional records of Blanford’s Fox and other rare species like the Arabian Tahr and Caracal in the UAE mountains with the assistance of Mashreq, the Fujairah Environment Authority, and our citizen scientists in the Leaders of Change program.
This is extremely valuable scientific data that aids in the management of these species’ conservation,” he continued. How to become a wildlife mapper By registering at Emirates Nature-WWF’s Leaders of Change website (leadersofchange.ae) for upcoming events, individuals throughout the UAE can take part in biodiversity surveys and nature conservation through “Notice Nature.”
