Dr. Amel of the Indian Ocean’s Galapagos

The only mammals on the island are goats, bats and orange civet cats. The bats are endemic and are essential to desert environments as they pollinate the night flowering plants. The goats however, while they can survive in the harsh desert environment, are imported, and have run amok on Socotra. They have eaten every last dragons blood tree seedling to the point where man has to step in. Dracaena cinnabari is a “vulnerable” species and is on Red List of Threatened Species as its numbers have declined by 78% since the 1950s. On day three we were fortunate to meet Dr. Amel Boulakchour, who has taken it upon himself to raise thousands of dragon tree seedings. The good hearted Dr. told us that according to his latest survey, of the 825 plant species, 307 are endemic, making Socotra the Galapagos of the Indian Ocean. Just off the coast of Diabelhan there is a pair of rocks that seem to be kissing.