Birth of Four Cheetah Cubs Marks Milestone at National Wildlife Center

Saudi Arabia’s National Center for Wildlife has announced the birth of four cheetah cubs, marking a major breakthrough in its conservation efforts.

For years, the kingdom has been making efforts to reintroduce a viable cheetah population in the country. Cheetahs have been absent from the Arabian Peninsula for over four decades. A recent discovery of ancient cheetah mummies in northern Saudi Arabia fuelled this determination to reestablish the country’s cheetah population. The current remaining distribution of cheetahs worldwide is limited to 9% of their historical range.

The initiative is part of the National Cheetah Conservation Strategy within the National Cheetah Reintroduction Program, which was launched in 2023 under the auspices of the Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture.

The centre also unveiled its multi-phase National Cheetah Conservation Strategy to re-establish a viable cheetah population. The strategy will begin with the creation of specialised breeding facilities and rewilding centres, identifying protected areas that offer suitable habitats for the reintroduced cheetahs, preparing for reintroduction, community partnership in the protection program, and the reintroduction and establishment of a self-sustaining breeding population.