The awareness on the global/national importance of last survivors of N. Bald Ibis in the Middle East has been steadily raising in the country since 2002. A 400-Km² Ibis Protected Area (IPA) was established by Syrian Govt. in spring 2004 (Serra 2002). The inauguration by H.E. Mrs Asma al-Assad, the Syrian First Lady, of a photo-exhibition in Damascus in October 2006 (“Syrian al Badia: a cultural and natural heritage under threat”, see invitation card below) clearly indicated that the issue had became of national relevance in the country. An educational publication was distributed at schools titled "Beaky" (see cover below).