First Wild Onager Birth Recorded in Saudi Arabia in 100 Years

The first onager born on Saudi soil in more than a century has been recorded at Prince Mohammed bin Salman Royal Reserve, marking a milestone in efforts to restore native wildlife to the Arabian Peninsula.

The male onager (Equus hemionus) was born in June 2025 as part of an Arabian rewilding programme focused on reintroducing 23 native species to their historic habitats.

According to the reserve, the birth was only announced after the animal successfully completed its first year of life, a period considered critical for the species' survival.

The reserve noted that first-year survival rates for onagers do not typically exceed 50%.

The onager is a desert-dwelling equid that once ranged across parts of the Middle East before disappearing from the Arabian Peninsula more than 100 years ago. The reserve stated that two additional onager births are expected during the coming winter season.

Conservation assessments cited by the reserve indicate that fewer than 600 onagers remain in the wild globally.

The species was reclassified as Critically Endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature in 2025. Current projections suggest wild populations could decline by as much as 90% by 2050 if existing threats continue.

According to the reserve, herd management plans are being adapted in response to these conservation assessments to support the species' long-term survival and recovery.

As part of efforts to strengthen genetic diversity, a new female onager from Jordan is currently undergoing quarantine and is expected to join the herd later this year.

The reserve plans to establish two separate breeding herds to improve long-term sustainability, genetic diversity and resilience.