Eight Arabian Oryx Calves Born at Imam Turki bin Abdullah Royal Reserve: A Significant Step in Conservation
Eight newborn Arabian oryx calves have recently joined the Imam Turki bin Abdullah Royal Reserve, according to a report by Saudi Press Agency on Thursday.
This development is a significant milestone in the reserve's breeding program.
The Arabian oryx, a species native to the Arabian Peninsula, was classified as "extinct" in the wild by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) in the 1970s.
However, due to conservation efforts, its status was changed to "endangered" in 1986 and then to "vulnerable" in 2011.
According to estimates from 2016, there were approximately 1,220 oryxes living in the wild worldwide and around 7,000 in captivity.
The arrival of the oryx calves at the ITARR comes after the hatching of red-necked ostrich chicks and an increase in the number of Arabian sand gazelles at the reserve.
Additionally, construction is underway for a dedicated breeding center for the endangered Asian houbara at the reserve.