News Details

In separate emails received last week, Ms. Jane Raymond, Trust Administrator of the Rufford Small Grants Foundation, and Mr. Keith Taylor, Deputy Chairman of the Abu Dhabi Chapter of the Emirates Natural History Group (ENHG), informed the Foundation that their respective committees had agreed to fund projects submitted by the Foundation on behalf of leopard conservation in Yemen.  The £6,000 Rufford Grant will be used to fund an enhanced year-long leopard survey at Jebel Milhan in conjunction with Hans Schmidt's ongoing survey and the Panthera Foundation-funded Caracal study to be undertaken in Wada'a and at Jebel Milhan.  The Emirates Natural History Group sponsorship of $3,000 will be used to build upon the capacity building work that the ENHG funded in 2010, and take it to the next step with six activities planned.  These include further training for Waleed Al-Ra'il and Murad Mohammed in Dhofar, and a series of leopard workshops at locations in five governorates: 1) Hawf, Al Mahrah, 2) Wada'a, Amran, 3) Jebel Milhan, Mahwit, 4) Jebel Bura', Hodeidah, and 5) Wadi Sharis, Hajjah.  In spite of the uncertain situation in Yemen, the Foundation continues its work unabated and expects to implement both projects as soon as disbursement procedures are complete and the necessary equipment has been purchased.