Veterinary Considerations of Captive Breeding and Restoration Programs for Houbara Bustards in the Middle East

Captive breeding and restoration programs involve managed movements of animals between captive and free-living populations. Conservationists are concerned that novel diseases or genetic conditions may be transferred by these movements, endangering both captive-released and remnant wild populations. Captive breeding programs have been established by the governments of several countries in the Middle East with the objective of restoring populations of houbara bustards (Chlamydotis undulata macqueenii). Many of these organizations have integrated veterinary departments into their captive-breeding programs. Biomedical research has been developed to maximize the health of captive birds, monitor the diseases present in both captive and free-living populations, and minimize the potential threat of disease transfer. Diseases such as Newcastle disease, avian pox, chlamydiosis, and intestinal parasites pose significant threats to captive breeding and restoration programs for houbara bustards in the Arabian peninsula, and measures are being taken to address this problem in the region.