Neom is repopulating the desert with oryx, ibex and gazelles

Four species of native wildlife return to Neom desert: Oryx, ibex, mountain gazelles and sand gazelles now roam the desert in Neom marking the first phase of a rewilding initiative in collaboration with the NationalCenter for Wildlife (NCW), according to a press release. The animals in Riyadh in late October and spent a period of time in pens to acclimatize to their new environment before being released Neom’s Nature Reserve. “This is the first time that oryx have walked the sands of Neom for nearly 100 years,” head of Neom Nature Reserve Paul Marshall said.

Neom has ambitious wildlife conservation goals: Neom Nature Reserve aims to become home to one of the world’s biggest rewilding and re-greening programs, preserving 95% of the region’s land and sea for nature, the statement notes. The program includes the NCW wildlife breeding initiative which aims to “restore wildlife abundance, reintroduce rare or locally near-extinct wildlife species and ensure protection of wildlife from illegal hunting,” according to the release.