TAIF: Prince Bandar Bin Saud, Secretary General of the Saudi Commission for Wildlife, revealed Thursday that work is under way to determine the habitation sites of the Arabian leopard across the western region of the Kingdom. The studies will be used by researchers to designate protectorates, help promote reproduction of the leopard, and return to prominence one of the most notable features of the peninsula's natural heritage. “We have four projects at the National Center of Wildlife Research, costing a total of 10 million riyals,” Prince Bandar said. “The project to help the Arabian leopard reproduce has produced six cubs in the last three years, and we're looking to see that number increase.” The prince revealed the plans at the launch of four projects at the Taif Research Center, entailing the creation of a visitors' center for environmental awareness, staff housing expansion, a new administrative building, and a designated building for the project to protect the Arabian leopard. Meanwhile, Prince Bandar is scheduled to release 18 gazelles and 20 red-necked ostriches into the wilds of the Muhazat Al-Said Protectorate in Taif Friday. The animals, housed at the King Khalid Center of Wildlife Research in Al-Thumama, are being released as part of the center's resettlement program and the protectorate's conservation strategy. According to Ahmad Al-Bouq, head of the National Center of Wildlife Research, several prides of ostriches have already been successfully relocated to Muhazat Al-Said. “Five of them have been fitted with monitoring devices that allow researchers to track and study their movements and habits,” Al-Bouq said. He added that five bustards will also be released into the protectorate to join the other 68 already resettled there previously. “That will be the last group of bustards to be freed into the area this year. Later this year we plan to release 38 other birds into protectorates at Saja' and Umm Al-Ramth as part of the same resettlement program,” he said.
