DUBAI // Birdwatchers have been alerted to be on the lookout for Pandora, a white-chested, greyish-black falcon who was accidently blown off course by high winds during a training session in Ras Al Khaimah on Wednesday.
The tracking device attached to the six-year-old peregrine falcon is not working and there has been no trace of her since she gave chase to a drone as part of her training routine.
“We were training her to fly to a drone and then strong winds took the drone away and because she is trained to chase she obviously instinctively followed it and was carried away too,” said Mitchell Olivier, her trainer and head falconer at the Banyan Tree Al Wadi hotel in Ras Al Khaimah.
“Chasing the drone is good exercise for falcons because it teaches them to climb very high and gets them strong and fit very quickly. We attach tracking devices to the falcons that are similar to a GPS, but unfortunately there has been no signal.”
This is only the second time in Mr Olivier’s 12-year career as a professional falconer that he has seen a bird blown away by strong winds.
The last time was two years ago, but the missing falcon returned and was found in a nearby garden at the Banyan Tree resort.
Mr Olivier is hopeful Pandora will return when she tires of hunting for prey.
“Falcons sometimes get lazy and don’t want to catch food, then they will come back to the area where they last got food,” he said. “The next three days are crucial. I’m hoping she will find her way back by then.”
The Banyan Tree’s birds of prey include four peregrine falcons, two Harris hawks, one greater spotted eagle, four desert eagle owls and two barn owls.
The falconers team put out an alert on Facebook with a picture of Pandora with an appeal to anyone who spots her to call Banyan Tree Recreation on 050-6478971 or 050-6471886.
Having worked with her for three years, Mr Olivier describes Pandora as very vocal.
“I’m extremely attached to her. She weighs 1kg, makes lots of noise, loves to chase pigeons and has a very white chest,” he said.
“She is strong and fit because we trained her to hunt so she can survive. If she does not come back in a week then I will be despondent.”
The hotel’s falcons are housed in outdoor and indoor enclosures and usually taken inside during the summer.
The National Centre for Meteorology and Seismology had issued predictions of unstable weather over the past few days with winds in interior areas of between 22km and 45km per hour.
The bureau forecast an increase in cloud cover in the north causing fresh and strong winds to blow dust and sand, reducing visibility.
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Name: Almnssa
Started: August 2020
Founder: Areej Selmi
Based: Gaza
Sectors: Internet, e-commerce
Investments: Grants/private funding
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Disclaimer
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Stars: Cate Blanchett, Kevin Kline, Lesley Manville
Rating: 4/5
Graduated from the American University of Sharjah
She is the eldest of three brothers and two sisters
Has helped solve 15 cases of electric shocks
Enjoys travelling, reading and horse riding
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Kanguva
Director: Siva
Stars: Suriya, Bobby Deol, Disha Patani, Yogi Babu, Redin Kingsley
Electoral College Victory
Trump has so far secured 295 Electoral College votes, according to the Associated Press, exceeding the 270 needed to win. Only Nevada and Arizona remain to be called, and both swing states are leaning Republican. Trump swept all five remaining swing states, North Carolina, Georgia, Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin, sealing his path to victory and giving him a strong mandate.
Popular Vote Tally
The count is ongoing, but Trump currently leads with nearly 51 per cent of the popular vote to Harris’s 47.6 per cent. Trump has over 72.2 million votes, while Harris trails with approximately 67.4 million.
Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week
'Saand Ki Aankh'
Produced by: Reliance Entertainment with Chalk and Cheese Films
Director: Tushar Hiranandani
Cast: Taapsee Pannu, Bhumi Pednekar, Prakash Jha, Vineet Singh
Rating: 3.5/5 stars
LA LIGA FIXTURES
Friday (UAE kick-off times)
Real Sociedad v Leganes (midnight)
Saturday
Alaves v Real Valladolid (4pm)
Valencia v Granada (7pm)
Eibar v Real Madrid (9.30pm)
Barcelona v Celta Vigo (midnight)
Sunday
Real Mallorca v Villarreal (3pm)
Athletic Bilbao v Levante (5pm)
Atletico Madrid v Espanyol (7pm)
Getafe v Osasuna (9.30pm)
Real Betis v Sevilla (midnight)
Three ways to limit your social media use
Clinical psychologist, Dr Saliha Afridi at The Lighthouse Arabia suggests three easy things you can do every day to cut back on the time you spend online.
1. Put the social media app in a folder on the second or third screen of your phone so it has to remain a conscious decision to open, rather than something your fingers gravitate towards without consideration.
2. Schedule a time to use social media instead of consistently throughout the day. I recommend setting aside certain times of the day or week when you upload pictures or share information.
3. Take a mental snapshot rather than a photo on your phone. Instead of sharing it with your social world, try to absorb the moment, connect with your feeling, experience the moment with all five of your senses. You will have a memory of that moment more vividly and for far longer than if you take a picture of it.
Look north
BBC business reporters, like a new raft of government officials, are being removed from the national and international hub of London and surely the quality of their work must suffer.
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Ticket prices
- Golden circle - Dh995
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TO A LAND UNKNOWN
Director: Mahdi Fleifel
Starring: Mahmoud Bakri, Aram Sabbah, Mohammad Alsurafa
Rating: 4.5/5
Business Insights
- As per the document, there are six filing options, including choosing to report on a realisation basis and transitional rules for pre-tax period gains or losses.
- SMEs with revenue below Dh3 million per annum can opt for transitional relief until 2026, treating them as having no taxable income.
- Larger entities have specific provisions for asset and liability movements, business restructuring, and handling foreign permanent establishments.
