Saddiqua Fanny-Al-Abdulla: The 21-Year-Old Ranger Embracing Island Conservation

At just 21, Saddiqua Fanny-Al-Abdulla has chosen a path that few young women would consider—becoming a conservation ranger on remote islands in the Seychelles. Her journey began after secondary school when she enrolled at the Maritime Academy, choosing to pursue her passion for the ocean and conservation over more traditional career options.

“I had done 5 months of work based attachment on Cousin Island, and that opened my eyes to what conservation really entails," Saddiqua says. The experience solidified her desire to work in conservation, particularly on secluded islands. After completing her studies, she secured a position as a ranger on Cousin Island, where she worked for 3 months. This early exposure helped Saddiqua gain valuable experience, particularly in terrestrial conservation.

Her second chance to work on another island came through a transformative 9-month internship on Fregate Island where, she had the unique opportunity to deepen her expertise in the terrestrial field, focusing on turtle monitoring, habitat rehabilitation, and wildlife monitoring, including birds, invertebrates, and reptiles. She then completed a Marine Scholarship programme with WiseOceans on Mahe where she gained hands on experience in Marine Conservation through reef surveys, CoralWatch, Invertebrate Surveys and Seagrass monitoring.

Earlier this year, she joined the Island Conservation Society (ICS), and her first assignment was on Aride Island. Saddiqua embraced the challenge. “The highlight of my stay on Aride was being able to do Seychelles Magpie Robin monitoring again," she shares, because it is one of her favourite birds. Her time there, however, was brief, and soon she was posted to Ile Platte, a more remote island where ICS had recently established a new conservation center.

The first view of Ile Platte's lagoon from the plane amazed Saddiqua. “I was intrigued and itching to explore it,” she recalls. Since arriving, Saddiqua has immersed herself in both marine and terrestrial conservation efforts. The island’s lagoon is rich in marine biodiversity, and Saddiqua’s team has already identified five species of rays and two species of sharks, among other creatures. At high tide, she switches her focus to terrestrial work, which includes monitoring tortoises and birds and collecting important data for national conservation records.

Working alongside the Island Development Company (IDC) and with the island's hotel staff, Saddiqua finds no shortage of things to do. Her love for nature extends to photography, which she enjoys in her free time, capturing the beauty of Ile Plate.
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Living away from her family, including her 12-year-old brother, has not been difficult for her. “I have everything I need here to live and work comfortably because it is not my first time away from home,” Saddiqua explains. For now, she’s content on Ile Plate, looking forward to exploring more of what the island has to offer, but remains open to whatever new island adventures may come her way. Until then, Saddiqua hopes more people can experience island life and conservation as she has.

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