RIYADH: Saudi Arabia is making steady progress in restoring the red-necked ostrich to its historic range, with new breeding successes at the Imam Abdulaziz bin Mohammed Royal Reserve adding momentum to a coordinated national rewilding effort spanning several protected areas across the Kingdom, according to reports carried by the Saudi Press Agency (SPA).
The Imam Abdulaziz bin Mohammed Royal Reserve Development Authority said its specialized breeding program at Rawdat Khuraim has recorded an increase in red-necked ostrich chicks, marking another milestone in efforts to rebuild populations of a species once native to the Arabian Peninsula and the Al-Dahna Desert in Najd.
The authority said the program combines natural nesting with assisted incubation, transferring selected eggs to dedicated hatcheries where veterinary specialists monitor their development under controlled conditions to improve hatching success and chick survival.
Wildlife teams aim to raise assisted breeding rates to more than 30 percent while gradually preparing young birds for release into the reserve’s natural habitats. (SPA)
Wildlife teams aim to raise assisted breeding rates to more than 30 percent while gradually preparing young birds for release into the reserve’s natural habitats, where they are expected to adapt and reproduce independently.
