Nearly 1 thousand Asian bustards, or beauty bustards have been set free in Muynak and Kungrad districts of Karakalpakstan. This unique and rare bird is listed in both Uzbekistan’s and the International Union for Conservation of Nature's Red Lists of Threatened Species.
"These birds were bred at the International Fund for Houbara Conservation in Abu Dhabi (UAE) and were brought to Uzbekistan under a partnership agreement between the Uzbek Environmental Protection Committee and Falcon Hunting Solutions. The birds were set free on the initiative Deputy Prime Minister of the United Arab Emirates, Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan," the Committee said.
The Asian bustard is listed in the Uzbek Red Book in 2009 as a Threatened species. It is common in the Kyzyl Kum desert. The number of birds began to decline in the 1960s.
