Dozens of endangered animals released in King Khalid Royal Reserve

The National Center for Wildlife Development, in cooperation with the Development Authority of Imam Abdulaziz bin Mohammed Royal Reserve, recently released a number of animals from endangered species into the King Khalid Royal Reserve.

The center released 10 Arabian Oryx, 30 Reem gazelles (also known as the Arabian sand gazelle), six Idmi gazelles (also known as the mountain gazelle), and 10 bustards.

Mohammed‎ Qurban, CEO of the NCWD, said: “The release of these species comes in light of the center’s keenness to achieve its goals of sustaining wildlife and preserving ecosystems and their biodiversity.

“The release programs that the center is working on aim to multiply and return local species threatened with extinction to their natural environments, thus contributing to enriching ecosystems with the missing elements of their biological system, in implementation of the national strategy for environmental conservation.

“It is an embodiment of the goals of the Saudi Green Initiative in increasing the number of protected areas to constitute 30 percent of the Kingdom’s area, and resettling endangered species to enrich biodiversity and rehabilitate ecosystems.”

Talal Al-Harigi, CEO of the IARR Development Authority‎, said: “The release of these species comes as an extension of the authority’s efforts to reintroduce endangered (species) into their natural environments and restore the environmental balance to enhance environmental sustainability.

“Solar-powered tracking collars have been installed on a number of the released (animals), to transmit their movement via satellite,” he added.

Sana Al-Shahri, chairwoman of Raisa Environmental Services Company, said: “It is a wonderful (job), as the reserve should be a healthy environment far from any human intervention that harms endangered animals.

“Endangered species are of great importance to environmental balance, which is one of the most important goals of reserves.”