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CNN World Report

Falcons Released in Keeping With Arab Tradition

Aired May 27, 2001 - 14:50   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
SHIHAB RATTANSI, CNN ANCHOR: The sport of falconry has been practiced for centuries in the Arab states surrounding the Persian Gulf. Falcons are used to hunt slower birds and gazelle.

ASIEH NAMDAR, CNN ANCHOR: The love for the sport has prompted the United Arab Emirates to promote it in part of Asia. As Dubai Television reports, the goal is preservation.

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KIM KELAITA, DUBAI TV REPORTER (voice-over): For thousands of years, falcons have been a long part of the Arab world's culture and tradition. The Bedouins use falcons for hunting. Today, falconry is very much alive, but these days, instead of hunting, falconry is now the sport of choice for many in the United Arab Emirates. In keeping up with that sportsmanship, 75 falcons were released in to the wild near the Pakistani and Afghani borders.

This program really is very useful for replenishment of the wild population of falcons.

KELAITA: Aiming to support international efforts in conserving all endangered species and the magnificent birds in particular, the United Arab Emirates released the (UNINTELLIGIBLE) and Peregrine falcons in a spectacular fashion. This year, the three-day release program was completed in 36 phases.

The program took place on the direction of His Highness, Sheik Zayid bin Sultan Al Nuhayyan, the president of the United Arab Emirates. Traditionally, Arabian falconers release their birds back into the wild when hunting season was over. But with the advent of modern technology and wealth, it became easy to keep the best falcons year after year.

But a few leader falconers, such as Sheik Zayid, are keeping that tradition alive, and each year release their falcons to the wild in the hope they will join again the wild population and contribute to its growth and survival. It is the seventh successive year that the release program took place, and officials says only birds found to be completely free of infection were included in the final release to guarantee that there was no chance of infecting the wild falcon population.

The (UNINTELLIGIBLE) district of Pakistan was chosen for the release because it offers the best conditions as a starting point for their migrations, leading them back to where they came from.

Kim Kelaita, Dubai Television, for the CNN WORLD REPORT.

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