Departments
The founder stock was obtained in 1993 under a license to harvest eggs from the wild. 153 eggs were collected, resulting in 138 chicks that were transferred to Agadir. The 1995 breeding season gave the first indications of the success of the production and breeding techniques, with 29 females laying 169 eggs.
The Veterinary Department is well equipped with laboratory, surgical unit and rehabilitation facilities and plays a key role in different aspects of the captive breeding process. With continuous improvement in training, services and facilities, the Veterinary Department is well equipped to do among others, blood chemistry, microbiology, parasitology and recently immunology.
The Genetics Laboratory was created to contribute to the management of the Houbara bustard captive breeding flock. It is equipped with instrumentation for genetic analyses on nucleic acids including PCR machines and a Li-Cor 4200L automated DNA sequencer. Additional equipment includes gel electrophoresis apparatuses, shaker-incubator, DNAQuant machine, and centrifuges.
A key mission of HRH Prince Sultan International Foundation for the Conservation & Development of Wildlife is the release into the wild of the Houbara Bustard. The first release took place in Errachidia in the summer of 97 under the sponsorship of HRH Prince Faisal bin Sultan bin Abdul Aziz and attended by a high level of officials and dignitaries from Morocco and other countries.
