The International Fund for Houbara Conservation, IFHC, has announced the hatching of its first captive-bred Asian Houbara chick of the season. The chick, the first of several thousand which are anticipated to be bred this year in Abu Dhabi, was hatched on the 4th March at the Fund's Sheikh Khalifa Houbara Breeding Centre - Abu Dhabi. It is also the first to be produced this year as part of the His Highness Sheikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Houbara Reintroduction Project, which breeds and releases Asian Houbara into the wild to restore sustainable wild populations in the U.A.E.. Speaking on the occasion, Mohammed Saleh Al Baidani, Director-General of IFHC, said, "While this is the first of many thousands of chicks we will be breeding this year, it is still a special moment to savour. It is one of the major milestones of the Fund's state-of-the-art breeding programme and gives us heart for our continuing endeavours to provide a sustainable future for the Houbara."