By Mohan Vadayar
SHARJAH: The Sharjah Desert Park witnessed the birth of three Arabian Wolf pups last winter, the first pups born that year.
The Arabian Wildlife Centre recorded the births in captivity early this year when wolves deliver babies in the winter of early spring season, officials said.
Normally, wolves have one to four pups per litter in late winter or early spring. The mother wolf was weak after giving birth and remained in her den for two months. She then started taking her pups out for hunting trips and joined other wolves in the wild to teach them how to hunt for food.
The Arabian Wolf can be differentiated from other strains of purebred Arabian wolves and hybrid wolves – paired with dogs – by the colour of their eyes. Purebred Arabian wolves have yellow eyes and their structure is different.
The home of the Arabian Wolf is in mountains, stone and coastal plains along the Arabian Peninsula. Wolves also dwell in large sandy deserts along the Empty Quarter (Rub Al Khali).
The Arabian Wolf is currently protected in wild sanctuaries in Oman, Saudi Arabia, Yemen and the UAE. Arabian wolves are an endangered species because their habitat has been severely curtailed.
The Environment Agency and Natural Reserves give great importance to the animals located in the Arabian Wildlife Centre were protected since its creation in 1998.
This testifies to the vision of His Highness Dr Sheikh Sultan Bin Mohammed Al Qasimi, Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Sharjah, to protect the endangered wild animals in the Arabian Peninsula and to work on breeding to maintain these species rescued from an increasingly threatened desert and save them from extinction.
The centre provides healthy environmental conditions suitable for the propagation of these rare animals. It focuses on their care through a breeding and development programme for these animals. The data forms the base of essential information foundation in the development of the strategy for the protection of the natural systems of desert and its biodiversity.