A desert oasis outside of Dubai draws a new caravan: A family of rodents from Argentina

By JON GAMBRELL
Updated 11:30 PM CST, November 24, 2024

AL QUDRA LAKES, United Arab Emirates (AP) — A desert oasis hidden away in the dunes in the far reaches of skyscraper-studded Dubai has drawn a surprising new set of weary world travelers: a pack of Argentinian rodents.

A number of Patagonian mara, a rabbit-like mammal with long legs, big ears and a body like a hoofed animal, now roam the grounds of Al Qudra Lakes, typically home to gazelle and other desert creatures of the United Arab Emirates.

How they got there remains a mystery in the UAE, a country where exotic animals have ended up in the private homes and farms of the wealthy. But the pack has already survived several years in a network of warrens among the dunes.

The UAE’s Climate Change and Environment Ministry and authorities in Dubai did not respond to questions from The Associated Press about the Patagonian maras’ presence. One estimate suggests that as many as 200 could be thriving in the area and the wider Al Marmoom Desert Conservation Reserve nearby, as only a few dead maras have been found.

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