<
https://www.goodnewsnetwork.org/milestone-for-rewilding-as-ostriches-return-to-saudi-desert-after-100-year-absence/>
"If you pull out a world map to see where you could find some space to stick a
few endangered species without the risk of bothering human settlements, the
Arabian Peninsula comes to mind as an obvious location.
With virtually the entire population living either on the coast or around
oases, huge tracts of land remain uninhabited—something the Saudi Wildlife
Authority is taking advantage of.
The red-necked ostrich, known historically as the “camel bird,” was
reintroduced by ecologists at Saudi Arabia’s third-largest nature reserve.
Critically-Endangered, this bird species once celebrated by Arab poets and
Roman scholars has been extinct in the wild on the peninsula for 100 years.
Under a long-term program called ReWild Arabia, the red-necked ostrich was
identified as the closest living relative of the extinct Arabian ostrich
(sometimes called the Syrian ostrich) and for its ability to survive in extreme
desert conditions.
A population of 5 birds were released into the 6-million acres of Prince
Mohammed Bin Salman Royal Reserve, where this ambitious rewilding attempt is
taking place.
The ostrich is the 12th such animal to be reintroduced out of a project goal of
23 that represent a full compliment of native historic megafauna, including
leopards, cheetah, and the Arabian oryx."
Via Susan ****
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
