Indo-Kuwait Friendship Society Dr.Ghalib Al-Mashoor and his team along with newly nominated IKFS Patron and India’s leading Ornithologist Dr. Zubair Medammal, the Asst. Professor of Zoology, Calicut University (India) met Indian Ambassador to Kuwait H.E. Sunil Jain.
Dr. Al Mashoor briefed H.E. with IKFS activities and introduced Dr. Zubair an Indian academic passionate about falconry and an enthusiastic falconologist from Kerala, has not only established himself in the vocation and done research which has carved a niche for himself in Kuwait.
Dr. Zubair explained to H.E. Sunil that Falcons enjoy a proud place in Arab national heritage and has shot a documentary on the rare species of bird in the Gulf. He said that last week he was able to meet H.E. Sheikh Faisal Al- Hamoud Al-Malek Al-Sabah, the Governor of Farwaniya Governorate and happily released the falcon documentary in Kuwait while handing over an extra copy of the Documentary to submit to H.H. Shaikh Sabah Al-Sabah, the Amir of State of Kuwait. Dr. Zubair added that he is proud to know that State of Kuwait is the leading Centre for breeding more than 2,000 Falcons with different species and the best among the Arabian nations who preserve the national heritage. He added that Falcon has always been regarded as a very uncommon and shy bird, and it is very rarely observed by amateur bird watchers. Falcons usually prey on small birds such as Houbara, Pigeon, and Quail. Apart from hunting purposes, that Falcons could be used to drive away crows and other birds that disturb traffic as well as birds that pose a threat to passenger planes. He urged the authorities in Kuwait and other Gulf states to take extra care while feeding falcons as many birds in countries in the region have died as a result of feeding on bird flu affected food and preying on infected birds. “About one-third of falcons die due to preying on birds exposed to pesticides”.
H.E. Sunil Jain welcomed IKFS executives Engineer Bader Al-Otaibi, IKFS Patron and Director General of Kuwait Municipality, (Hawalli Governorate – Govt. of Kuwait), A.K.S. Abdul Nazer, IKFS General Secretary, Patron Talib Ba-wazir (Businessman), and Amit Kohli (IKFS Executive Member)., and said that he is pleased to learn about Dr. Zubair’s 2 decades of hard work in the field of Falcon research and appreciated while saying that it seems that India now is having another Ornithologist after the great Indian Ornithologist Dr Salim Ali whose name was embarked with the establishment of “ The Sálim Ali Centre for Ornithology and Natural History (SACON) in Chennai - India.