Saudi NCW Announces First Birth of Female Caracal at Prince Saud Al-Faisal Wildlife Research Center

The Saudi National Center for Wildlife (NCW) announced the successful first birth of a female Caracal with two cubs at the Prince Saud Al-Faisal Wildlife Research Center in Taif. (SPA)
The Saudi National Center for Wildlife (NCW) announced the successful first birth of a female Caracal with two cubs at the Prince Saud Al-Faisal Wildlife Research Center in Taif. (SPA)
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Saudi NCW Announces First Birth of Female Caracal at Prince Saud Al-Faisal Wildlife Research Center

The Saudi National Center for Wildlife (NCW) announced the successful first birth of a female Caracal with two cubs at the Prince Saud Al-Faisal Wildlife Research Center in Taif. (SPA)
The Saudi National Center for Wildlife (NCW) announced the successful first birth of a female Caracal with two cubs at the Prince Saud Al-Faisal Wildlife Research Center in Taif. (SPA)

The Saudi National Center for Wildlife (NCW) announced on Thursday the successful first birth of a female Caracal with two cubs at the Prince Saud Al-Faisal Wildlife Research Center in Taif.

The remarkable achievement is a significant milestone in the center's breeding program, which was launched in 2022 with a nucleus of 16 individuals. The program aims to conserve and protect wildlife, maintain ecosystem balance, and enrich biodiversity, aligning with the National Environmental Strategy and the Saudi Green Initiative, as part of Saudi Vision 2030.

NCW has invested significant resources in upgrading and preparing the Caracal enclosures at the research center, which has led to a marked improvement in breeding and care programs for this majestic species.

"We are delighted to announce this milestone, which emphasizes the success of our efforts to rehabilitate ecosystems and enhance balance," said Dr. Mohammed Qurban, CEO of the National Center for Wildlife.

"This achievement is a testament to our commitment to conserving endangered species and expanding breeding programs, demonstrating our ongoing success in implementing ambitious environmental initiatives aimed at protecting biodiversity in the Kingdom and promoting best practices for environmental conservation within a comprehensive legislative framework," he added.

Dr. Qurban emphasized that NCW is dedicated to supporting efforts to breed and reintroduce endangered species into their natural habitats through specialized scientific programs and activities leveraging information technology in partnership with local and global experts.

The launch of breeding and reintroduction programs for local predators, including the lynx, coincides with the expansion of protected areas, providing suitable habitats for these creatures. The presence of predators in the wild ensures ecological balance, as they play a crucial role in maintaining food chains and contributing to the integrity of ecosystems.

The Prince Saud Al-Faisal Wildlife Research Center in Taif is one of the research centers under the National Center for Wildlife, established in 1986 to breed and reintroduce local endangered species into their natural habitats and monitor their post-release progress.

The research center is home to eight breeding programs, including those for the Asina Houbara, Arabian oryx, Common Ostrich, Arabian leopard, Arabian Mountain gazelle, Nubian ibex, Caracal, and Arabian hare.



Mexico Awaits New Response from Google on Dispute Over Gulf of Mexico Name Before Filing Lawsuit 

The Gulf of Mexico branded as Gulf of America is pictured through a magnifying glass on the Google Maps app on a computer in Bogota on February 11, 2025. (AFP)
The Gulf of Mexico branded as Gulf of America is pictured through a magnifying glass on the Google Maps app on a computer in Bogota on February 11, 2025. (AFP)
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Mexico Awaits New Response from Google on Dispute Over Gulf of Mexico Name Before Filing Lawsuit 

The Gulf of Mexico branded as Gulf of America is pictured through a magnifying glass on the Google Maps app on a computer in Bogota on February 11, 2025. (AFP)
The Gulf of Mexico branded as Gulf of America is pictured through a magnifying glass on the Google Maps app on a computer in Bogota on February 11, 2025. (AFP)

Mexico said Monday it is awaiting a new response from Google to its request that the tech company fully restore the name “Gulf of Mexico” to its Google Maps service before filing a lawsuit.

President Claudia Sheinbaum shared a letter addressed to her government from Cris Turner, Google’s vice president of government affairs and public policy. It says that Google will not change the policy it outlined after US President Donald Trump declared the body of water the Gulf of America.

“We will wait for Google’s response and if not, we will proceed to court,” Sheinbaum said Monday during a morning press briefing.

As it stands, the gulf appears in Google Maps as “Gulf of America” within the United States, as “Gulf of Mexico” within Mexico and “Gulf of Mexico” (Gulf of America) elsewhere. Turner in his letter said the company was using “Gulf of America” to follow “longstanding maps policies impartially and consistently across all regions” and that the company was willing to meet in person with the Mexican government.

“While international treaties and conventions are not intended to regulate how private mapping providers represent geographic features, it is our consistent policy to consult multiple authoritative sources to provide the most up to date and accurate representation of the world,” he wrote.

Mexico has argued that the mapping policy violates Mexican sovereignty because the US only has jurisdiction over around 46% of the Gulf. The rest is controlled by Mexico, which controls 49% and Cuba, which controls around 5%. The name “Gulf of Mexico” dates back to 1607 and is recognized by the United Nations.

In response to Google's letter, Mexican authorities said they would take legal action, writing that “under no circumstance will Mexico accept the renaming of a geographic zone within its own territory and under its jurisdiction.”

The renaming of the body of water by Trump has flared tensions between Mexico and the US at a pivotal time for the neighboring allies.

Sheinbaum has had to walk a fine line with Trump amid threats of tariffs and Mexico and other Latin American countries have braced themselves for promised mass deportations, the brunt of which has still not been felt.

Along with the legal threat to Google, the Mexican president also announced Monday that Mexico and the US would hold high-level meetings this week on trade and security in an effort to maintain a “long-term plan of collaboration” between the two countries.

It's the latest round of talks between the two countries in which Mexico hopes to hold off a larger geopolitical crisis.