RIYADH — The Prince Mohammed bin Salman Royal Reserve has reintroduced the Arabian hare as a part of its “Rewilding Arabia” program, marking the 14th native species restored because the initiative was launched in winter 2022.
The Arabian hare performs a important position in desert ecosystems as a main shopper, rebuilding meals webs by transferring power from vegetation to predators and regulating ecological processes throughout trophic ranges.
As a grazing herbivore and seed distributor, it helps handle plant development whereas serving as a key prey species for jackals, foxes, wildcats and hyenas.
Reserve CEO Andrew Zaloumis stated rewilding efforts lengthen past growing animal numbers.
“Rewilding isn’t just about restoring species numbers, however reinstating ecological processes,” Zaloumis stated, noting that reintroducing the hare strengthens ecological hyperlinks important for desert restoration.
Twenty hares have been chosen to boost genetic range. They may initially stay in purpose-built breeding enclosures to speed up inhabitants development earlier than launch into the wild. The reserve has already recorded the primary births underneath this system.
Not like many desert species, the Arabian hare lives above floor and may tolerate excessive warmth with out burrowing. Its pure camouflage aids survival, whereas its massive ears — measuring as much as 17 centimeters, or about 30% of its physique size — help thermoregulation and acute listening to.
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With independently rotating ears and almost 360-degree imaginative and prescient, the hare can detect predators early and dash as much as 80 kilometers per hour in speedy zigzag patterns. Regardless of these variations, desert predation charges can attain 90%, underscoring its significance as a foundational prey species in arid ecosystems.
Since 2022, the reserve has documented greater than 100 sand gazelle births, 19 mountain gazelle births, the primary Nubian ibex births, 36 Arabian oryx calves and one wild ass foal. This system goals to determine self-sustaining wild populations throughout Saudi Arabia.
The rewilding effort operates underneath an built-in administration plan restoring habitats throughout 24,500 sq. kilometers of terrestrial and marine ecosystems. Supported by superior ranger applications and neighborhood engagement, the initiative aligns with Imaginative and prescient 2030 and the Saudi Inexperienced Initiative, which goal conserving 30% of the Kingdom’s land and sea by 2030.
Spanning 24,500 sq. kilometers from volcanic lava plains to the Purple Sea, the reserve types an ecological hall linking NEOM, the Purple Sea Mission and AlUla. Though it covers about 1% of Saudi Arabia’s land space and 1.8% of its marine territory, it hosts greater than half of the Kingdom’s species, making it one of many Center East’s most biodiverse areas.
The reserve plans to reintroduce 23 traditionally native species — together with the Arabian leopard, cheetah, Arabian oryx and lappet-faced vulture — underneath the supervision of the Royal Reserves Council, chaired by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, as a part of the Saudi Inexperienced and Center East Inexperienced initiatives.
