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Saudi: National Center for Wildlife Releases 132 Animal Species into NEOM Nature Reserve

The National Center for Wildlife, in collaboration with NEOM, has released a total of 132 species into the NEOM Nature Reserve. SPA
The National Center for Wildlife, in collaboration with NEOM, has released a total of 132 species into the NEOM Nature Reserve. SPA
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Saudi: National Center for Wildlife Releases 132 Animal Species into NEOM Nature Reserve

The National Center for Wildlife, in collaboration with NEOM, has released a total of 132 species into the NEOM Nature Reserve. SPA
The National Center for Wildlife, in collaboration with NEOM, has released a total of 132 species into the NEOM Nature Reserve. SPA

Saudi Arabia's National Center for Wildlife, in collaboration with NEOM, has released a total of 132 species into the NEOM Nature Reserve.

The initiative aims to rehabilitate and ensure the adaptation of these species to their new environment before releasing them into the wild. The released species consist of 80 Arabian sand gazelles, 12 mountain gazelles, 12 ibexes, and 28 Arabian Oryx.

National Center for Wildlife CEO Dr Mohammed Qurban said that the release is part of the center's comprehensive program aimed at preserving and relocating endangered species native to the region. He added that the program focuses on rehabilitating ecosystems and enhancing biodiversity throughout the Kingdom.

Qurban emphasized that this program aligns with the Saudi Green Initiative and the national strategy for environmental conservation, contributing to the fulfilment of the Kingdom's Vision 2030 objectives.

Since its establishment, the National Center for Wildlife has executed comprehensive strategies to safeguard wildlife, conserve biodiversity, restore ecosystems, and promote sustainability. As the designated national authority overseeing wildlife conservation and development, the center undertakes the vital task of reintroducing endangered species to their native habitats. It employs advanced techniques for monitoring and surveying biodiversity within protected areas, including tracking wildlife populations, documenting reserve-specific information, collecting data, and comprehending the potential challenges and risks confronted by wildlife.

Covering an area of 25,000 square kilometers, the NEOM Nature Reserve is dedicated to establishing a balanced ecosystem and fostering biodiversity through innovative solutions and cutting-edge technologies in conjunction with research institutions.

This concerted effort aims to tackle the pressing challenges endangering our planet, including the alarming decline in biodiversity and the looming threat of species extinction. By doing so, the NEOM Nature Reserve contributes to the safeguarding and preservation of natural environments.

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Swollen Rivers Flood Towns in US South after Dayslong Deluge of Rain

The rising waters of Cedar Creek and the Kentucky River overflow their banks, Sunday, April 6, 2025, in Monterey, Ky. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)
The rising waters of Cedar Creek and the Kentucky River overflow their banks, Sunday, April 6, 2025, in Monterey, Ky. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)
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Swollen Rivers Flood Towns in US South after Dayslong Deluge of Rain

The rising waters of Cedar Creek and the Kentucky River overflow their banks, Sunday, April 6, 2025, in Monterey, Ky. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)
The rising waters of Cedar Creek and the Kentucky River overflow their banks, Sunday, April 6, 2025, in Monterey, Ky. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)

Days of unrelenting heavy rain and storms that killed at least 18 people worsened flooding as some rivers rose to near-record levels and inundated towns across an already saturated US South and parts of the Midwest.

Cities ordered evacuations and rescue crews in inflatable boats checked on residents in Kentucky and Tennessee, while utilities shut off power and gas in a region stretching from Texas to Ohio.

“I think everybody was shocked at how quick (the river) actually did come up,” said salon owner Jessica Tuggle, who was watching Monday as murky brown water approached her business in Frankfort, Kentucky, the state capital along the swollen Kentucky River, The AP news reported.

She said that as each new wave of rain arrived over the weekend, anxious residents hoped for a reprieve so they could just figure out how bad things would get and how to prepare. She and friends packed up everything she could haul out of her salon, including styling chairs, hair products and electronics, and they took it all to a nearby tap house up the hill.

“Everybody was just ‘stop raining, stop raining’ so we could get an idea of what the worst situation would be,” she said.

Officials diverted traffic and turned off utilities to businesses in the city as the river was expected to approach a record crest on Monday.

For many, there was a sense of dread that the worst was still to come.

“As long as I’ve been alive — and I’m 52 — this is the worst I’ve ever seen it,” said Wendy Quire, the general manager at the Brown Barrel restaurant downtown.

“The rain just won’t stop,” Quire said Sunday. “It’s been nonstop for days and days.”

Storms leaving devastating impact The 18 reported deaths since the storms began on Wednesday included 10 in Tennessee. A 9-year-old boy in Kentucky was caught up in floodwaters while walking to catch his school bus. A 5-year-old boy in Arkansas died after a tree fell on his family’s home, police said. A 16-year-old volunteer Missouri firefighter died in a crash while seeking to rescue people caught in the storm.

The National Weather Service warned Sunday that dozens of locations in multiple states were expected to reach a “major flood stage,” with extensive flooding of structures, roads, bridges and other critical infrastructure possible.

In north-central Kentucky, emergency officials ordered a mandatory evacuation for Falmouth and Butler, towns near the bend of the rising Licking River. Thirty years ago, the river reached a record 50 feet (15 meters), resulting in five deaths and 1,000 homes destroyed.

The storms come after the Trump administration cut jobs at NWS forecast offices, leaving half of them with vacancy rates of about 20%, or double the level of a decade ago.

Why so much nasty weather? Forecasters attributed the violent weather to warm temperatures, an unstable atmosphere, strong winds and abundant moisture streaming from the Gulf.

The NWS said 5.06 inches (nearly 13 centimeters) of rain fell Saturday in Jonesboro, Arkansas — making it the wettest day ever recorded in April in the city. Memphis, Tennessee, received 14 inches (35 centimeters) of rain from Wednesday to Sunday, the NWS said.

Rives, a northwestern Tennessee town of about 200 people, was almost entirely underwater after the Obion River overflowed.

Domanic Scott went to check on his father in Rives after not hearing from him in a house where water reached the doorstep.

“It’s the first house we’ve ever paid off. The insurance companies around here won’t give flood insurance to anyone who lives in Rives because we’re too close to the river and the levees. So if we lose it, we’re kind of screwed without a house,” Scott said.

In Dyersburg, Tennessee, dozens of people arrived over the weekend at a storm shelter near a public school clutching blankets, pillows and other necessities. Just days earlier the city was hit by a tornado that caused millions of dollars in damage.

For some, grabbing the essentials also meant taking a closer look at the liquor cabinet.

In Frankfort, with water rising up to his window sills, resident Bill Jones fled his home in a boat, which he loaded with several boxes of bottles of bourbon.