Very soon, one can sit in a shopping mall in the UAE, put on a mixed reality headset and enter the world of wildlife to see how trafficking of endangered species is impacting their habitat and putting their future at stake.A new awareness campaign called Beautiful in the Wild was launched by the Ministry of Climate Change and Environment in Abu Dhabi in December seeking to raise awareness on this seminal issue.

Using the HoloLens techonology, the headset will give individuals a virtual wildlife glimpse into the importance of protecting wildlife. HoloLens is a computer built into a headset that lets you see, hear and interact with holograms within a closed environment. With the help of a cutting-edge holographic computer, visitors can experience simulated interaction with wild animals in their natural environment.

Conservation of the ecosystem is one of the most important responsibilities we have as a nation and as human beings. Unfortunately, we still see certain harmful practices, such as illegal trade in endangered animals that cause an imbalance to the ecosystem and adversely impact our environment. The UAE government considers wildlife an important aspect of its heritage and sees the protection of endangered species as its top priority.

Nowadays people may get bored if we only give them leaflets to read or if we want to lecture them on the subject, so we need to find innovative ways of capturing their attention. That is why UAE has decided to go with the VR (virtual reality) experience.

The virtual reality programme is available in both English and Arabic.It puts the person right into the environment of the animal and shows how they live, and the consequences of taking them out of the wild. The experience even shows the physical harm that happens to animals as a result of hunters who are trying to capture and traffic them. The VR provides the person with a close, in-depth look at the reality of what is happening.

The main message the campaign wants to send, is that endangered animals are beautiful in the wild, a place where they truly belong and they should not be taken out of the wild — they are not beautiful when they are put in private farms or a person?s home.

This awareness campaign was in line with the UAE?s overall goal of fighting the illegal trade of endangered species, and the UAE would remain committed to the international agreements it has entered into on this issue.

The UAE has undertaken massive efforts and works across multiple entities born out of belief in preserving endangered animal species and to give them the chance to survive and live. This work has included the issuing of regulations and legislations towards combating the illegal wildlife trade.

Source:

Gulf News