Campaign announced to release falcons into wild

Al Qannas Qatari Society has announced its decision to launch the 6th campaign to release falcons into nature as part of its efforts to enhance the country's efforts to breed them in the wild.
The announcement came on the sidelines of the ongoing the 14th edition of Qatar International Falcons and Hunting Festival (Marmi 2023) at the Sealine Area.
Mohamed bin Abdulatif al-Misnad, vice-chairman of the society and deputy head of the supreme organising committee of Marmi 2023, said that the Al Qannas Society will start receiving the donated falcons after the end of the hunting season this year and birds which qualify will be released into nature.
He noted that the previous campaigns were highly successful according to the results collected through the tracking devices on the released falcons to identify their migration routes.
"Qatari falconers donating their falcons is a noble and humanitarian act, as they always used to do after the end of the hunting season, and this has continued from generation to generation," al-Misnad recalled while urging the falconers to positively interact with the current campaign and donate some of their falcons to allow them to breed in the wild and help maintain the future of this sport and hobby.
He noted that the donated falcons will be received by the society ahead of releasing them to allow enough time to ensure that they are healthy enough. The health checkups of falcons will be held in co-operation with Souq Waqif Falcon Hospital and other specialised hospitals.
Al-Misnad said that releasing the falcons will take place in Azerbaijan as was the case last year because it has been identified as one of the international migration routes of falcons.
The competitions of Marmi will continue Thursday as scheduled.
Marmi 2023, organised by Al Qannas Qatari Society at Sabkhat Marmi in the Sealine Area, under the patronage of HE Sheikh Joaan bin Hamad al-Thani, will conclude on Saturday.
The event had drawn more local, regional and international attention as one of the major festivals in its category, pioneered by Qatar to maintain and develop such heritage traditional sport.