RIYADH: Wildlife conservation efforts have resulted in the birth of the first onager (Equus hemionus) in more than 100 years on Saudi soil at the Prince Mohammed bin Salman Royal Reserve, marking the return of a species that had disappeared from the Arabian Peninsula for over a century.
The reserve said the male onager was born in June last year as part of the Arabian rewilding program, which aims to reintroduce 23 native species to their former habitats, the Saudi Press Agency reported.
The birth was announced on Monday only after the onager completed its first 12 months of life, a critical survival period with rates not exceeding 50 percent.
The reserve is also expecting two additional onager births this winter, reflecting the progress of conservation efforts amid projections by the International Union for Conservation of Nature that the species’ population could decline by 90 percent by 2050.
Fewer than 600 individuals remain in the wild after the species was upgraded to Critically Endangered in 2025, the SPA added.
The reserve is working to enhance the genetic diversity of its onager herd. A female is currently in quarantine before joining the herd later this year from Jordan, with plans to establish two breeding groups to improve long-term sustainability and adaptability.
The program reflects a forward-looking approach to environmental conservation based on national and regional partnerships to support integrated wildlife protection solutions.
