Endangered gazelles find ‘safe haven’ in Libya

Wrapped in white bags and nestled in the arms of volunteers, eight young rhim geese — an endangered species native to North Africa — were transferred to an uninhabited island in Libya.

Conservationists hope their new home on the island of Farwa, near Tunisia, will be a haven for the vulnerable animal.

Also known as Gazella leptoceros, or simply rhim, the thin-horned gazelle lives in the desert areas of Algeria, Tunisia, Libya and Egypt.

But its population has declined significantly because it is a prized target for hunters.

According to a 2016 International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) assessment, there were only 300 to 600 mature rhims in the North African wild.

The environmentalists “wanted to move the wildlife from Farwa”, a 13-kilometre (eight-mile) sandbar, as part of gazelle conservation efforts, Mohamed al-Rabti, one of the volunteers, told AFP.

A first group of rhymes was released a few weeks ago, “followed by eight individuals, including one male and seven females” on July 18, Rabti added.

As soon as they were released, the young gasses began to struggle before immediately disappearing behind the wild bushes of the island.

The animal with long, thin horns is small, agile and well adapted to life in the desert, with pale fur that allows for better survival by blending into sandy landscapes.

Coloration is less effective against hunters, which for a time were the main predator of gazelles.

Equipped with binoculars, automatic rifles and powerful four-wheel drive vehicles, some go after the animals just as a hobby.

Others hunt them for as much as 5,000 Libyan dinars ($1,000) per carcass.

Gazella leptoceros is classified in the 2016 IUCN “Red List of Threatened Species”.

With no official census in Libya, a country wracked by chaos and instability since the fall of longtime dictator Moamer Kadhafi in 2011, little has been done to preserve their lives.

But with the work of numerous NGOs and activists, this could be set to change.

Farwa, although not their natural habitat, appears to have been suitable for the first batch of gases released on the island, Youssef Gandouz, an environmental activist, told AFP.

They have been “monitored with binoculars and drones and are doing very well,” Gandouz said.

The island is also home to the sea turtle (Caretta caretta), which has become its symbol, and is a stopover for flamingos and other migratory birds that travel across Africa to rest before flying across the Mediterranean to Europe.

– Climate threats –

Although today it remains uninhabited, Farwa was once home to the Amazigh tribes before they left for the surrounding areas inland.

The island looks picture-postcard idyllic, with palm trees strewn on white-sand beaches and surrounded by the sparkling Mediterranean Sea.

Kadhafi dreamed of building a luxury seaside resort there with “floating” villas and a golf course.

Once famous for its exceptional wildlife, today it faces a long list of threats, including illegal fishing and pollution.

“Many associations and universities … are making significant efforts to protect the biodiversity and plant cover” of Farwa, said Jamal Ftess, a reserve manager for the island.

In addition to wildlife, environmentalists have also worked to preserve the island’s rare flora.

Local associations like Bessida have planted vegetation that is resistant to wind and sea spray and requires little water. This can help provide food for animals and protect against erosion, they say.

Gandouz, who helped volunteers move some of the plants, said it was the second transplant effort of its kind on Farwa.

“The vegetation on Farwa is sufficient” for rhim gazelle survival, Ftess said, and Gandouz added that the narrow island “is now a safe haven where turtles and migratory birds can nest and feed.”

But activists have long warned that coastal erosion and rising water levels are among the climate threats facing the island.

Ftess said a study by a Libyan university found that “between 1961 and 2006, the coast of Farwa lost 1.6 meters (5.2 feet) per year, and between 2006 and 2020 the erosion reached two meters per year” .

“We need the help of the authorities to preserve it,” he said.

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