INTENSIVE
FAUNA SURVEYS OF CENTRAL SYRIAN DESERT (2000-04)
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During period 2000-04 I was selected and
appointed by the UN-FAO as a conservation biologist to carry out a long-term
fauna and reconnaissance survey of the central Syrian desert (around the
millenary oasis of Palmyra) in the framework of a FAO/DGCS
Italian Cooperation project (GCP/SYR/009/ITA). This project, in operation between
1996 and 2004, was aimed at assisting the Syrian Ministry of Agriculture and
Agrarian Reform (MAAR) in initiating biodiversity conservation in the country
through the development of the first operational protected area (al talila reserve),
through steppe habitat rehabilitation and through the raising of the ecological
awareness.
While leading and in-service training a
team of MAAR staff, local hunters and indigenous nomads (Bedouins), a number of
new and interesting fauna species were detected and discovered: for instance, 1
new snake record (Black Cobra Walterinnesia aegyptia: Sindaco et al. 2006),
9 globally threatened bird species and 21 potential new bird records for Syria
(Serra et al. 2005 a & b), and 4 new mammal records (Serra et al.
In prepar.). The surveying efforts culminated in the discovery in April
2002 of a surviving relict colony of Northern Bald Ibis (NBI) Geronticus eremita
(Serra 2003), quoted as “arguably the most
significant orthithological discovery in the last 30 years anywhere in the
Middle East” (Bowden et al., 2002).
This extensive desert survey also paved
the road (Murdoch and Serra 2006) to another
ornithological discovery of international relevance, taken place in eastern
Syria in February 2007: the long-sought staging or wintering grounds of
Critically Endangered Sociable Lapwing (Vanellus gregarius),
found by a Dutch-Syrian team leaded by Remco Hofland (see related BirdLife International news).
CAPACITY
BUILDING OF LOCAL COMMUNITY (2000-04)
While enthusiastically implementing the
above mentioned long-term fauna survey, day by day I have built from scratch
the naturalistic & conservation capacity of some selected local people
(MAAR staff, hunters and indigenous pastoralists). By “infecting” them with the
germ of the passion for nature, the ecological awareness and naturalistic
appreciation of these people has flourished and raised dramatically: slowly
they started to realize that they were becoming the first Syrian trained and
certified conservationists and eco-guides - and that also the responsibility on
their shoulders was growing…
A publication titled
“From Indifference to Awareness” (Serra et
al. 2003 b) was published by the UN-FAO with the aim of describing the raising
of the ecological awareness among the local community through the
implementation of the project. A total of 7-10 indigenous and local people were
involved in the conservation field work, with the aim of in-service train them
as birdwatching and eco-guides and conservationists, and also to teach them the
English language. Gradually, they have become highly motivated and skilled in
bird field identification and fluent in English. One of them, among the most
authoritative hunters of Palmyra, was converted into a passionate birdwatching
guide and a fervent anti-hunting campaigner nationally. This work experience
with local community was defined “an example of good practice in conservation”
by the Dana
Declaration Standing Committee and the World Alliance of Mobile Indigenous Peoples
(WAMIP).
Despite the MAAR/FAO/DGCS project
termination in spring 2004, I personally and voluntarily kept the commitment of
trying to help these people in setting up a small-scale birdwatching and
eco-tourism cooperative in Palmyra, through raising funds, creating specific web
pages (see: http://www.andrewsi.freeserve.co.uk/birding-in-syria.htm,
http://www.guidedbirding.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/Profiles/syria.htm), and also by directly putting them in
contact with foreign eco-tourists and birdwatchers. The dream of the
eco-guiding cooperative did not work out, but since 2005 2 of these people,
Ahmed Khaled Abdallah (from the beni khaled tribe), and Adeeb Assaed
(the ex Palmyra hunter) have finally started to earn a living out of guiding
eco-tourists and birdwatchers in the desert. While Mahmdud Scheisch Abdallah
and Ghazy al Qaim have become the first Syrian trained and certified protected
area rangers of MAAR: they are now veterans of the yearly implementation of the
ibis protection program.
These pioneers from Palmyra are most
probably the first people in Syria making a living out from nature
conservation: they have shown, and they are showing every day to all the other
desert dwellers, that not only hunting wildlife is profitable but also
protecting and appreciating it can be profitable as well (a quite innovative
idea!): the main difference being that the first practice is unsustainable in
the short and medium term (wildlife in the Syrian desert has been already
extensively extirpated) while the second practice is sustainable and helps the
desert ecosystem being alive. The fact is that the livelihood of most of the
people living in the Syrian desert is still predominantly based on the natural
resources and ecological services (e.g. the pastures for the livestock, shrubs
for firewood, water for irrigation and drinking etc.).
N. BALD IBIS CONSERVATION SAGA
(2002-07)
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The successful decoding of the
traditional naturalistic knowledge of the Bedouin nomads, crucial to discover
the NBI relict colony of Palmyra (Serra et al. 2003), triggered an
interesting international debate about the need to include this type of
knowledge in the scientific naturalistic surveying and research (Blair
2005). In particular, the “confession” by a Palmyra hunter of the
killing of an ibis in the late 1990s alerted me on the chance that the
ornithological literature might have been wrong in listing the NBI as extinct
from Syria since long time ago. The sketch to the left, drawn upon my
insistences by a young nomad shepherd in March 2002, triggered our systematic
and relentless search across the Palmyra desert, yielding the relict colony
one month later. |
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NBI can be regarded
as a keystone species of the Syrian al badia not only culturally but
also ecologically. In the past this bird species certainly used to play an
important ecological role within the Syrian steppe land: being a relentless
insectivore, it was probably key in controlling the insect populations of the
steppe, and in so doing maintaining the ecological health and productivity of
the pastures on which the nomads rely on for their livelihoods.
Interestingly, MAAR recognized the beneficial role of the ibises for
agriculture in decree n. 28 issued in 1967. The last NBI
survivors of Palmyra are a flagship (and a stark symbol) of the dramatic and
still on-going desertification of the Syrian steppe ecosystem which affects
in first place the indigenous mobile people, whose livelihoods completely
rely on its natural resources– the same resources also key for the survival
of ibises: cultural and biodiversity heritage of the Syrian desert are both
critically endangered due to a complex cocktail of problems ultimately
reflected in the current over-grazing of pastures, uncontrolled and extensive
uprooting of shrubs as firewood and uncontrolled (& illegal) hunting. The ibis protection
program, in operation in the Palmyra desert since the year of the discovery
(2002), have involved the traditional indigenous people (i.e. Bedouins
pastoralists from amur tribe) and Palmyra hunters (Bowden et al. 2002,
Serra et al. 2003 b), receiving international
acknowledgements at the 2004 Bangkok IUCN World Conservation Congress. The
awareness on the global/national importance of these birds has been steadily
raising in the country since 2002. A 400-Km² Ibis Protected Area (IPA) was
established by MAAR in spring 2004 (Serra 2002). The
inauguration by H.E. Mrs Asma al-Assad, the Syrian First Lady, of a photo-exhibition
in Damascus in October 2006 (“Syrian
al Badia: a cultural and natural heritage under threat”, see
invitation cards below) clearly indicated that the issue has became of national
relevance in the country. |
photo by J. Crisalli |
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The primary threat to the survival of
this invaluable NBI colony is that adults are still decreasing steadily (from 7
in 2002 to 4 returned in early 2006) while fledged young, usually migrating
together with adults to their unknown wintering grounds in July, seemed to not
reappear the following years at the Syrian breeding grounds. An ibis protection program against hunting and disturbance has been
implemented successfully during period 2002-2004 (MAAR/FAO/DGCS) and 2006
(MAAR/BirdLife/National Geographic/RSPB) (Serra and Peske 2006 b).
Differently from the Moroccan ibises,
which are living in resident colonies, the Syrian ibis survivors are migratory:
a behavior that makes them genetically unique globally, but also very
vulnerable from a conservation point of view. The protection program appeared
to be not sufficient: the fact is that the creature should be protected also in
the rest of its unknown range. The only way to discover the rest of the
distribution range of this species was to trap and tag with a satellite
transmitter one or more birds.
Following a determined advocacy campaign
in Syria during the winter 2005-06, which even prompted the direct interest
and support from H.E. the Syrian First Lady, as already mentioned, a field
mission was implemented in 2006 which succeeded in trapping and tagging three
adult ibises: the migratory route and the wintering grounds of the NBI colony
was therefore unveiled during July-August 2006, and followed on-line by bird
enthusiasts from all over the world (thanks to a web page prepared by RSPB): the ibises flew
southward over 3000 Km to reach a remote site on the Ethiopian highlands, at an
altitude of about 2700 m asl, where they have spent almost 6 months.
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photo by L. Peske |
map by J. Lindsell |
A preliminary survey (RSPB, National
Geographic, Ethiopian Wildlife and Natural History Society), conducted in the
Ethiopian wintering grounds in November 2006, found only the four adults in
place, evidencing that 1st year young and sub-adults winter
separately in a still unknown site. These adult NBIs entirely rely on
agricultural habitats. No immediate threat could be identified during this
first short survey (Serra et al. 2007). Sightings of NBIs on the
Ethiopian highlands were not uncommon in the past: some of these records are as
early as from the nineteenth century (Welch and Welch 2004). Interestingly, the
two most recent records of NBIs in the region (Eritrea in 1994, and Ethiopia
highlands in 1977) are from sites where the tagged birds have passed by during
the past winter. The 3 tagged ibises returned to their Syrian breeding grounds
in February 2007, using a partly different route. One of the four adults (the
untagged one) was lost during the return migration, evidencing that there are
threats in place along the migration route.
Recently released NBI International Action Plan (Jimenez Armesto et al. 2006), and
the NBI National Action Plan for Syria that will be hopefully soon prepared,
must be implemented as a matter of urgency before it is too late. Known threats
at breeding grounds in Syria are reduced BUT still in place. The indigenous local community living at
the NBI breeding grounds in Syria (but also those living at the wintering
grounds in Ethiopia) live on a subsistence economy: their livelihoods depend on
the unsustainable over-exploitation of natural resources due to a complex array
of reasons independent from their will.
IPA and its indigenous local community (amur
tribe) hold a good potential for promoting the revitalization of the
traditional customary pasture management system known as hema system.
Once (and if/when) secured the survival of this globally valuable and unique
piece of Middle Eastern biodiversity, responsible ecotourism in the Palmyra
area could become a mean to promote sustainable development and raise much
needed ecological awareness locally. Potential for ecotourism in the Palmyra desert
has been recently assessed, through an initiative by BirdLife International,
and a feasibility study has been produced (Serra 2007).
Due to the successful protection efforts
of past years the natural recruitment of the colony, not recorded in years
2002-04 (Serra 2005) revitalized starting from 2004: since then a total of 8
sub-adults have returned to the colony (2004-07), partially compensating the
loss of adults in past years (Serra and Peske, 2006 b). A semi-captive
population of about 90 pairs of NBIs, most likely belonging to the same genetic
stock of Syrian relict colony, are kept by Doga Dernegi (BirdLife partner in
Turkey) in the village of Birecik (Southern Anatolia), not far from the Syrian
border.
Despite a number of technical and
conservation concerns still unresolved (IAGNBI 2004), there is growing
consensus among the IUCN’s International Advisory Group on Northern Bald Ibis
(IAGNBI) that the Syrian colony could be one day supplemented and reinforced
with Turkish individuals, mainly with the aim of reducing in-breeding risks: a
feasibility study is in preparation (Fritz et al,, In prep.). This
project stands now at an exciting turning point: it could be the last
chapter of the long-term decline of NBIs in the Middle East OR the beginning
of a spectacular (almost miraculous)
recovery plan.
Restoring a viable population of NBI in
Arabia and Eastern Africa, starting from the last surviving wild birds of
Palmyra, could turn to become a world-class conservation achievement. Similarly
ambitious conservation projects have been attempted only in the USA so far
(e.g. restocking of California Condor and Sandhill Crane).
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photo by
M.S. Abdallah |
photo by M.S. Abdallah |
written by G. Serra (June 2007)
photos by G. Serra (except differently
indicated)
MEDIA COVERAGE
(2002-07)
1.
Press
releases:
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BBC World. 2002. “Endangered bird
delights conservationists’
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The Guardian. 2002. “Lost colony
revives hopes for rare ibis’
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The Daily Telegraph. 2002. “Colony of rare bald ibis
found”
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Royal Wings. 2002. “Fly away home”
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Syria Times. 2004. “Palmyra’s rare ibises on the verge of
extinction”
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Corriere della Sera. 2005. “Ibis, un volo verso il mistero”
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BBC World, 2006. “Rare Middle East bald ibis tagged”
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BBC World. 2006. “Winter home
find cheers twitchers”
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Science. 2006. “Eye on the ibis”
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The Guardian. 2006. “Ibis sighted in Ethiopia for first
time since 1970s”
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Science Daily. 2006.
“Tagging success boosts hopes for Arabian Phoenix”
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La Repubblica – Firenze.
2006 “Una vita per l’ibis eremita”
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Syria Today. 2007.
“The Punks of Palmyra”
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BirdLife
International. 2007. “Come home to Palmyra”
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National Geographic magazine – Expeditions, In
preparation. NG Grantee: Ibis Rising
3. National Geographic web site. 2007.
“Extinct Ibis found in Middle East”. 5-min on-line video.
"If today is a typical day on
planet Earth, we will lose 116 square miles of rainforest, or about an acre a
second. We will lose another 72 square miles to encroaching deserts, as a
result of human mismanagement and overpopulation. We will lose 40 to 100
species, and no one knows whether the number is 40 or 100. Today the human
population will increase by 250,000. And today we will add 2,700 tons of
chlorofluorocarbons to the atmosphere and 15 million tons of carbon. Tonight
the Earth will be a little hotter, its waters more acidic, and the fabric of
life more threadbare." ...... David Orr (1991)
REFERENCES
Blair
M. 2005. Editorial. Sandgrouse 27(1): 2.
Aharoni, J. 1928.
Der Waldrapp – Comatibus eremita (L.). Der Ornithologische Beobachter,
26, 58–60.
Aharoni, J. 1929.
Zur brutbiologie von Comatibus comata Bp. (Geronticus
eremita L.). Beitrage zur
Fortpflanzungsbiologie der
Vogel, 5: 17–19.
Bowden,
C.G.R., Aghnaj, A., Smith, K.W. & Ribi, M. 2003. The status and recent breeding performance of
the last known wild population of northern bald ibis Geronticus eremita, on the Atlantic coast of Morocco. Ibis 145: 419-431
Fritz J., Boehm C., Pfistermuller R.,
Kotrschal K. In prep. Supplementation scenarios for Northern Bald Ibis colony of Palmyra.
IAGNBI 2004.
Statement for conservation priorities for the Northern Bald Ibis. IUCN’s International Advisory Group for
Northern Bald Ibis (IAGNBI) Newsletter n. 3, 2004: 5-6.
Jimenez Armesto, M.J., Boehm, C. &
Bowden, C. (Compilers). 2006. International Single Species Action Plan for the
Conservation of the Northern Bald Ibis Geronticus eremita. AEWA Technical
Series No. 10. Bonn, Germany.
Safriel, U.N.
1980. Notes on the extinct
population of the northern bald ibis Geronticus eremita in the Syrian
desert. Ibis, 122: 82–88.
Serra G. 2002. Proposal for an action plan to protect
wildlife of Palmyrean desertic steppe. FAO report project GCP/SYR/009/ITA
prepared upon request of Syrian Ministry of Environment, available at FAO
Representation in Damascus Syria.
Serra G. 2005.
Time running out for Syrian ibises. World Birdwatch (BirdLife International
magazine), 27(4): 9.
Serra G., Abdallah S.A., al Qaim G., Kanani A., Assaed A.K. In prep. Feeding ecology and behaviour of last surviving middle
eastern N. Bald Ibises breeding in the Syrian steppe.
Serra G., Abdallah
M., Abdallah A., Al Qaim G., Fayed T., Assaed A., Williamson D. 2003 a. Discovery of a
relict breeding colony of Northern Bald Ibis Geronticus eremita in
Syria: still in time to save the eastern population ? Oryx, 38 (1): 1-7.
Serra G., Abdallah M., Assaed A., Al Qaim G.,
Abdallah A. 2005 a. A long-term bird survey of central Syrian
desert (2000-2003) – Part 1. Sandgrouse, 27(1): 9-23.
Serra G., Al Qaim G., Abdallah M., Kanani A., Assaed A.K. 2005 b. A long-term
bird survey of central Syrian desert (2000-2003) – Part 2. Sandgrouse, 27(2): 104-125.