Socotra is an island of roughly 50, 000 people located 380km off the coast of Yemen, the country to which it only technically belongs.

BBC: Stepping back in time in Socotra

Brought to Socotra centuries ago by sailors, they reproduced rapidly and are now a staple of island life, providing both food and income for their owners.

BBC: Stepping back in time in Socotra

The Biodiversity Project's scientists fume, saying that this was tantamount to raiding the island's precious genetic bank, without sharing any of the proceeds with Socotra's impoverished fishermen and shepherds.

ECONOMIST: An imperilled Arabian paradise