Mysterious Creature from Argentina Has Made Its Home in Dubai
2024-12-02
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1Dubai in the United Arab Emirates is known for its tall, modern buildings rising high above the desert.
2But an unusual animal from Argentina, the Patagonian mara, can be found there, too.
3The animal, like a rabbit, has long legs and ears and a body larger than most other rodents.
4They have been found near the Al Qudra Lakes, which are usually home to gazelle and other desert creatures found in the Emirates, or UAE.
5How they got there remains a mystery.
6But in the UAE, exotic animals have ended up in the private homes and farms of the wealthy.
7The UAE's Climate Change and Environment Ministry and officials in Dubai did not answer questions from the Associated Press (AP) about the Patagonian maras.
8But one estimate suggests that as many as 200 could be thriving in the area of the Al Marmoom Desert Conservation Reserve nearby.
9Few dead maras have been found.
10An AP reporter found at least five maras on a recent visit to the Al Qudra Lakes, a wide desert area 40 kilometers south of Dubai.
11On another visit, the reporter saw several packs of the animals, including one mother still nursing a baby.
12Al Qudra is at the end of a long bicycle path.
13It is popular in the winter months.
14Campers and others come to enjoy the outdoors in the cooler weather among the area's lakes.
15Some of the lakes have been engineered into shapes like a moon, two hearts or as an advertisement for Dubai's Expo 2020.
16The Patagonian maras first appeared publicly in 2020 during the height of the coronavirus pandemic.
17A request for information on their sightings was first published in an issue of the Dubai Natural History Group's monthly newsletter.
18Volunteers described seeing them in Al Qudra and on Saadiyat Island near the UAE's capital of Abu Dhabi.
19"This large rodent is a common species in zoological collections and undoubtedly found its way out from captivity," wrote Jacky Judas, who has long studied mammals in the UAE.
20"They can regularly be seen sleeping or eating grass in the middle of roundabouts at Al Qudra...it can possibly survive in highly modified habitats with tree plantations, lawns and ponds," Judas wrote.
21Those words describe the environment found at Al Qudra and are probably the reason for the maras' continued survival.
22But temperatures in the UAE regularly reach 45 degrees Celsius in the summer, making it a difficult environment.
23The number of maras at Al Qudra suggests that they are breeding.
24Patagonian maras mate for life, and females can get pregnant only a few times a year.
25They can give birth to one to three babies at a time.
26In Argentina, the animals can be hunted and eaten, their fur used for rugs and blankets.
27The Patagonian maras eat plants and are no threat to humans.
28There are few animals that might hunt them at Al Qudra.
29Arabian red fox do live and hunt in the area.
30Patagonian maras normally live in central and southern Argentina.
31But they have been trafficked into areas as exotic pets in the past.
32In the United States, the appearance of one was covered by the local news in Denver, Colorado.
33In August, a Patagonian mara was found in a car about to enter Turkey from Greece.
34Officials discovered other animals in the suspected trafficking attempt.
35It is illegal to keep endangered or threatened wildlife in the Emirates.
36But there have been many reports and social media videos of Emirati men in luxury cars with pet lions along for the ride.
37I'm Mario Ritter, Jr.
1Dubai in the United Arab Emirates is known for its tall, modern buildings rising high above the desert. But an unusual animal from Argentina, the Patagonian mara, can be found there, too. 2The animal, like a rabbit, has long legs and ears and a body larger than most other rodents. They have been found near the Al Qudra Lakes, which are usually home to gazelle and other desert creatures found in the Emirates, or UAE. 3How they got there remains a mystery. But in the UAE, exotic animals have ended up in the private homes and farms of the wealthy. 4The UAE's Climate Change and Environment Ministry and officials in Dubai did not answer questions from the Associated Press (AP) about the Patagonian maras. But one estimate suggests that as many as 200 could be thriving in the area of the Al Marmoom Desert Conservation Reserve nearby. Few dead maras have been found. 5An AP reporter found at least five maras on a recent visit to the Al Qudra Lakes, a wide desert area 40 kilometers south of Dubai. On another visit, the reporter saw several packs of the animals, including one mother still nursing a baby. 6Al Qudra is at the end of a long bicycle path. It is popular in the winter months. Campers and others come to enjoy the outdoors in the cooler weather among the area's lakes. Some of the lakes have been engineered into shapes like a moon, two hearts or as an advertisement for Dubai's Expo 2020. 7The Patagonian maras first appeared publicly in 2020 during the height of the coronavirus pandemic. A request for information on their sightings was first published in an issue of the Dubai Natural History Group's monthly newsletter. Volunteers described seeing them in Al Qudra and on Saadiyat Island near the UAE's capital of Abu Dhabi. 8"This large rodent is a common species in zoological collections and undoubtedly found its way out from captivity," wrote Jacky Judas, who has long studied mammals in the UAE. 9"They can regularly be seen sleeping or eating grass in the middle of roundabouts at Al Qudra...it can possibly survive in highly modified habitats with tree plantations, lawns and ponds," Judas wrote. 10Those words describe the environment found at Al Qudra and are probably the reason for the maras' continued survival. But temperatures in the UAE regularly reach 45 degrees Celsius in the summer, making it a difficult environment. 11The number of maras at Al Qudra suggests that they are breeding. Patagonian maras mate for life, and females can get pregnant only a few times a year. They can give birth to one to three babies at a time. In Argentina, the animals can be hunted and eaten, their fur used for rugs and blankets. 12The Patagonian maras eat plants and are no threat to humans. There are few animals that might hunt them at Al Qudra. Arabian red fox do live and hunt in the area. 13Patagonian maras normally live in central and southern Argentina. But they have been trafficked into areas as exotic pets in the past. In the United States, the appearance of one was covered by the local news in Denver, Colorado. In August, a Patagonian mara was found in a car about to enter Turkey from Greece. Officials discovered other animals in the suspected trafficking attempt. 14It is illegal to keep endangered or threatened wildlife in the Emirates. But there have been many reports and social media videos of Emirati men in luxury cars with pet lions along for the ride. 15I'm Mario Ritter, Jr. 16Jon Gambrell reported this story for the Associated Press. Mario Ritter, Jr. adapted it for VOA Learning English. 17_____________________________________________ 18Words in This Story 19thrive -v. to not only survive but to live well and to reproduce 20pack -n. a group of certain kinds of animals like dogs, hyenas, and some rodents 21nurse -v. when mother mammals provide milk to their young 22species -n. a kind of animal or plant that is like others of its kind and can reproduce with them 23roundabout -n. a circular roadway where two or more roads meet 24habitat -n. an environment in which a plant or animal lives 25luxury -adj. market by being very costly or excessive 26We want to hear from you. 27Our comment policy is here.