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RCU Launches Campaign to Protect Arabian Leopard on its International Day

The campaign aims to raise awareness about the critically endangered Arabian leopard. SPA
The campaign aims to raise awareness about the critically endangered Arabian leopard. SPA
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RCU Launches Campaign to Protect Arabian Leopard on its International Day

The campaign aims to raise awareness about the critically endangered Arabian leopard. SPA
The campaign aims to raise awareness about the critically endangered Arabian leopard. SPA

The Royal Commission for AlUla (RCU) is celebrating the first International Day of the Arabian Leopard, which was declared by the United Nations on February 10, by launching the 'Leap of Hope' campaign.

The campaign aims to raise awareness about the critically endangered Arabian leopard and support efforts to protect it.
The campaign includes initiatives such as the launch of the 'Quest for Hope' gaming experience on the Metaverse platforms Decentraland and Roblox through advertisement billboards in major cities, including Beijing, London, New York, and Paris, urging support for the conservation efforts of the Arabian leopard and highlighting the commission's goal to thoroughly develop AlUla as a world-leading destination for cultural and natural heritage.

Quest for Hope is an adventure-themed game that lets players from around the world virtually experience and discover the essential role of Arabian leopards in rebalancing the natural environment for vital ecosystems to thrive.
RCU and Catmosphere Foundation will also host the AlUla Catwalk in celebration of the International Day of the Arabian Leopard.
The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) has listed the Arabian leopard as critically endangered.

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Latest Tests Show Seine Water Quality Was Substandard When Paris Mayor Took a Dip

Boats carrying members of delegations sail along the Seine during the opening ceremony of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games on July 26, 2024. (AFP)
Boats carrying members of delegations sail along the Seine during the opening ceremony of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games on July 26, 2024. (AFP)
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Latest Tests Show Seine Water Quality Was Substandard When Paris Mayor Took a Dip

Boats carrying members of delegations sail along the Seine during the opening ceremony of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games on July 26, 2024. (AFP)
Boats carrying members of delegations sail along the Seine during the opening ceremony of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games on July 26, 2024. (AFP)

Tests results released Friday showed the water quality in the River Seine was slightly below the standards needed to authorize swimming — just as the Paris Olympics start.

Heavy rain during the opening ceremony revived concerns over whether the long-polluted waterway will be clean enough to host swimming competitions, since water quality is deeply linked with the weather in the French capital.

Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo took a highly publicized dip last week in a bid to ease fears. The Seine will be used for marathon swimming and triathlon.

Daily water quality tests measure levels of fecal bacteria known as E. coli.

Tests by monitoring group Eau de Paris show that at the Bras Marie, E. coli levels were then above the safe limit of 900 colony-forming units per 100 milliliters determined by European rules on June 17, when the mayor took a dip.

The site reached a value of 985 on the day the mayor swam with Paris 2024 chief Tony Estanguet and the top government official for the Paris region, Marc Guillaume, joined her, along with swimmers from local swimming clubs.

At two other measuring points further downstream, the results were below the threshold.

The statement by Paris City Hall and the prefecture of the Paris region noted that water quality last week was in line with European rules six days out of seven on the site which is to host the Olympic swimming competitions.

It noted that "the flow of the Seine is highly unstable due to regular rainfall episodes and remains more than twice the usual flow in summer," explaining fluctuating test results.

Swimming in the Seine has been banned for over a century. Since 2015, organizers have invested $1.5 billion to prepare the Seine for the Olympics and to ensure Parisians have a cleaner river after the Games. The plan included constructing a giant underground water storage basin in central Paris, renovating sewer infrastructure, and upgrading wastewater treatment plants.