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Al-Ahram Weekly 5 - 11 August 1999 Issue No. 441 
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Published in Cairo by AL-AHRAM established in 1875 |
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Al-Ahram Weekly 5 - 11 August 1999 Issue No. 441
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| Published in Cairo by AL-AHRAM established in 1875 |
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Egypt Region International Economy Opinion Culture Profile Focus Interview Features Travel Living Sports Time Out Chronicles People Cartoons Letters Life with the birds
By Mahmoud Bakr
Bird-watching is one of the activities that attract travellers all over the world. Fortunately, Egypt has a lot of resting spots for birds that migrate from Europe. The Zaranik Protected Area in North Sinai is one of these locations. As a matter of fact, it is the only protected area on the Mediterranean coastline.
Travellers to Zaranik will have the chance to watch a variety of bird species from the second half of August until October and also in January and February.
According to Saad Osman, the director of the protected area, Zaranik lies on one of the principal paths of migratory birds. "Hundreds of thousands of them come to that area to rest and eat before resuming their arduous journey across the desert to Africa, where they spend the winter," he said.
He said that autumn witnesses the peak of migratory birds at Zaranik. "Already more than 270 species of birds have been recorded. Most of them are of the aquatic migratory types of which seven species are in danger of extinction," Osman said.
He explained that the highest number of any one species is the Chinese duck or teal, with 220,000 recorded in one season. Other species include the pelicans, flamingos, Phoenicopterus ruber, quail, seagulls and storks.
Ironically, Zaranik is considered one of the poor areas as far as native birds are concerned. Only eight species multiply there.
Travellers will not only enjoy bird life but will also relish the chance to see a large variety of wildlife in the form of vertebrates and invertebrates. "Eleven species of mammals have been registered. These include the jerbon (gerbillus), the rat (psamomys obesus), the porcupine (hemiechinus auriitus), the fink (fennecus zerda) and the sand cat (feliis margarita). Moreover, we have 22 species of reptiles and 970 types of wild vegetation, 60 types of which are not found anywhere else in the world," Osman said.
The interest in Zaranik started in the early 1960s. Since then it has become well known to researchers, tourists and those who are interested in the environment. To preserve its wealth, a prime ministerial decree was issued in 1985 declaring Zaranik a protected area.
The Zaranik Protected Area in North Sinai provides both a resting stop for migrating birds and a place for coastal wildlife
photos: Khaled El-Fiqi
According to Bird Life International, the area has been designated as one of the world's important locales for the protection of numerous species of birds in danger of extinction as well as other highly sensitive wildlife species. The area, according to the Treaty of Barcelona for the Protection of the Mediterranean Basin, has been declared a special protected area.
Wahid Salama, director of the central department of protected areas, there was a tendency in the 1980s to close those protected areas to all visitors. However, it was later decided that areas could become a big source of revenue for the country and consequently were opened to all visitors.
"We always have travellers from England, USA, France, Italy, Belgium and Germany. However, their number is small because of the remoteness of the place and also because it is not sufficiently advertised," said Salama. The fees for entering the protectorate is LE3 for Egyptians and $3 for foreigners. Groups receive a 50 per cent discount while students and children under 12 are admitted free-of-charge.
"There are some facilities provided for travellers in Zaranik such as the kiosks that are built especially for bird watching, awnings and dry rest houses," Salama said.
Travellers can also visit archaeological sites in the protected area. A Roman settlement called "Ostrachin" is located in the Al-Felousiyat area. It also has two churches dating back to the Byzantine era as well as several Islamic antiquities.
Ibrahim Abdel-Gellil, head of The Egyptian Environmental Affairs Agency (EEAA), said that on an area of two feddans, a youth hostel will be constructed in Zaranik soon.
This hostel will include a residential area for youth who are visiting the protectorate, a conference hall, an environmental laboratory for students and researchers, as well as a museum and a flower nursery for plants grown in Zaranik.
"The construction of the hostel will be financed by the EEAA while youth activities at the hostel will be financed and supervised by the Supreme Council of Youth and Sports," said Abdel-Gellil.
