RIYADH: More than 220 endangered animal species have been reintroduced to the wild in Saudi royal reserves over the past three years.
The conservation work, carried out by the Imam Abdulaziz bin Mohammed Royal Reserve Development Authority, has taken place for five consecutive seasons.
Hundreds of animals on a red list of endangered species have been strategically placed to maintain an environmental balance based on appropriate vegetation cover.
In the King Khalid and Imam Abdulaziz bin Mohammed reserves, the reintroduction programs have been carefully planned to ensure species’ adaptation and contribution to the natural food chain and ecosystems.
Reem and idmi gazelle, Arabian oryx, Nubian ibex, and the Asian bustard are among the animals that have been released. With the aid of tracking collars and surveillance cameras, the authority’s specialized team can closely monitor their natural behaviors and reproduction, with experts having recently registered more than 40 newborns.
And provision has been made for emergency water supplies during drought periods.
At the King Khalid Royal Reserve’s wild animal center, established last year, a flexible release scheme allows time for animals to adapt to their native wild habitats before being fully reintroduced.
