Endangered Nubian Ibex & Arabian Gazelles Released in Al-Soudah Park

The National Center for Wildlife, in cooperation with Soudah Development, has released six Nubian ibex and six Arabian gazelles into Al-Soudah Park in the Asir region, marking a new phase in its wildlife reintroduction programme. The move targets two endangered native species and forms part of a wider plan to return bred wildlife to protected areas across the Kingdom.

Officials said the initiative is designed to strengthen ecological balance, restore biodiversity and enhance the environmental value of national parks by re-establishing species within their natural habitats. Al-Soudah Park has been identified as a suitable release site due to its terrain, climate and role within designated conservation zones in Asir.

Specialised field teams are monitoring the animals following their release to assess health, movement and behavioural adaptation. The centre said it is using advanced monitoring tools and data analysis to evaluate the success of the reintroduction and guide future phases of the programme.

Alongside the release, a new training initiative has been launched to enhance the capabilities of wildlife rangers, focusing on safe capture, transport and post-release monitoring.