NCWCD (3)

Further improvements in both species and habitat conservation were made to the Farasan Islands Protected Area in the course of 1995. Eighty five pairs of osprey were recorded breeding in the protected area. These birds represent one quarter of the entire known osprey population in the Red Sea region. Farazan gazelle have thrived and now number approximately 1,100 animals. The new mangrove restoration project in areas where mangroves have deteriorated is one of the most important conservation efforts in the Kingdom.

1995 also marked the completion of the Marine Habitat and Wildlife Sanctuary for the Gulf Region Co-operative Project, a joint venture between the NCWCD and the European Union which, in its final phase, was primarily concerned with training Saudi Arabian scientists and rangers to carry out effectively the tasks necessary for the maintenance of the Sanctuary.

The National Wildlife research Center (NWRC) at Taif continued to conduct wildlife captive breeding programs. The houbara bustard breeding program began the year with 408 birds and produced 463 eggs and a hatching of 195 chicks. Breeding of the red-necked ostrich resulted in the hatching of 17 chicks. The Arabian oryx population at NWCR increased by 13%.

Profile of Saudi Arabia