Taif, a city approximately 160 kilometers from Jeddah, was the destination for a group of KAUST students during the University's 2015 Winter Enrichment Program (WEP). Known for its winding mountain roads, crops of pomegranates, grapes and figs, and famed for its roses, Taif is also the Kingdom's unofficial "summer capital," as its higher elevation gives it cooler temperatures year-round.

Visiting Taif's old souk (marketplace), a rosewater factory and the Taif National Museum were all on the menu for the participants, but it was a visit to the Kingdom's National Wildlife Research Center (NWRC), located just outside of the city, that was most unique.

Establishing Kingdom-wide Wildlife Conservation

The NWRC was opened in 1986 after the late King Fahd established the National Commission for Wildlife Conservation and Development, which set up field stations, research centers and wildlife protected areas Kingdom-wide.

Mandated with the preservation and reintroduction into the wild of three species of animal, the houbara bustard, the Arabian oryx and the red-necked ostrich, the NWRC has since branched out to preserve another species, the Arabian leopard. The center's researchers also conduct other projects, many involving international collaborations.

Preserving the Houbara Bustard

"Houbara bustards are an internationally threatened species due to hunting and habitat destruction," Dr. Zafar-ul Islam, NWRC Director of Field Research and Manager of Re-introduction Programs, told the KAUST visitors. "Without immediate efforts to preserve this species, within 25 years it will become extinct."

Three years after houbara bustards arrived at the center, captive-bred chicks hatched there, and now around 150 – 350 captive-bred chicks are hatched each year. From 1991 – 2009, almost 900 captive-bred houbara bustards were released into protected reserve areas in the Kingdom. When released, the bustards are fitted with radio transmitters so their movements can be tracked.

"The bustards move from Saudi Arabia to Kazakhstan, Iran, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, and other Central Asian countries," Dr. Islam explained. "We receive data from the transmitters, and we see the locations they stop at along their route. We then ask different countries to preserve or restore those habitats. By doing this, we are not only helping the bustards in Saudi Arabia, but around the world."

Breeding Arabian Oryx

By the 1970s, the Arabian oryx had become extinct in the wild due to overhunting. A group of oryx from the personal collection of Saudi Arabia's King Khaled were sent to the center, along with oryx from Europe, the Middle East and the U.S., including from the San Diego Zoo.

After instituting a successful breeding program, by 1994 the center's captive oryx population was one of the most genetically diverse in the world, and today over 700 of the animals have been successfully reintroduced into the Kingdom's Mahazat As-Sayd Protected Area.

Success through Other Species

The center has also successfully reintroduced the red-necked ostrich, a close relative of the now-extinct Syrian ostrich, which used to live in the Arabian Peninsula. In 2009, the center found further success in captive breeding the Arabian leopard, with four cubs born to two different mothers there. Researchers are also investigating other Arabian animals, including the red fox and Rüppel's fox, the sand cat, the hamadryas baboon, and eagles and falcons.

Supporting Worldwide Conservation

"Wildlife conservation in Saudi Arabia and worldwide cannot succeed without your support," Dr. Islam said. "Respecting our natural environment is not incompatible with modern life – on the contrary, it is vital for future generations."

He urged the KAUST visitors to remember one message from their Taif and NWRC trip: "Protect nature to preserve the world's previous heritage – its biodiversity. Our cause is yours," he said.

- By Caitlin Clark, KAUST News