Aiming to restore endangered wildlife species to their native habitats, more than twenty spiny-tailed lizards were released into the King Khalid Royal Reserve in Riyadh on August 8, 2024. The National Center for Wildlife (NCW) and the Imam Abdulaziz bin Mohammed Royal Reserve Development Authority worked together to release the lizards.
Although the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) has listed the species as endangered, the goal of this release is to increase the number of spiny-tailed lizards in the reserve and maintain ecological equilibrium.
August 8, 2024, in Riyadh. Twenty or more spiny-tailed lizards have been reintroduced into the King Khalid Royal Reserve as part of a collaborative effort to return endangered animal species to their native habitats. This program was implemented by the Imam Abdulaziz bin Mohammed Royal Reserve Development Authority in partnership with the National Center for Wildlife (NCW).The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) has warned that the spiny-tailed lizard is endangered, however the Imam Abdulaziz bin Mohammed Royal Reserve Development Authority explained that the release was intended to increase the population of the species in the King Khalid Royal Reserve. By doing this, the lizards would be allowed to carry out their natural function and support the reserve's biological equilibrium.The officials also stated that, in line with Saudi Vision 2030 and the country's environmental conservation policy, the release of the spiny-tailed lizards is a part of a larger effort to boost the population of endangered species. This statement has been issued by the authorities.The Arabian sand gazelle, the mountain gazelle, the Arabian oryx, and the Nubian ibex are among the endangered species that the authority has successfully released in collaboration with the National Center for Wildlife.
