Saudi Arabia’s King Abdulaziz Royal Reserve Witnesses Births of Arabian Oryx

The new births of young Arabian Oryx were monitored with satellite-supported tracking devices. SPA
The new births of young Arabian Oryx were monitored with satellite-supported tracking devices. SPA
TT

Saudi Arabia’s King Abdulaziz Royal Reserve Witnesses Births of Arabian Oryx

The new births of young Arabian Oryx were monitored with satellite-supported tracking devices. SPA
The new births of young Arabian Oryx were monitored with satellite-supported tracking devices. SPA

The King Abdulaziz Royal Reserve Development Authority has witnessed the births of the Arabian Oryx. This comes as part of its efforts to enrich biodiversity of the reserve, restore ecological balance and consolidate the concept of environmental sustainability.

The Authority aims to reproduce endangered animals and resettle them in natural reserves, and rehabilitate ecosystems in Saudi Arabia.

This is in line with the comprehensive strategic targets for 2030 for royal reserves, and the outputs of the Saudi Green Initiative (SGI), derived from the Kingdom's Vision 2030.

The new births of young Arabian Oryx, known as "Ghadhid", were monitored with satellite-supported tracking devices.

This confirms the success of the programs for the animals' resettlement in the reserve and their adaptation to their new environment. It leads to the prosperity of vegetation cover, as well as the high environmental awareness among members of local communities.

Saudi Arabia is at the forefront of global centers specialized in the breeding of endangered species and their settlement in their natural habitats in line with international standards.



7-month-old Tree Kangaroo Peeks Out of Mom's Pouch at Bronx Zoo

This photo, provided by the Wildlife Conservation Society, shows a Matschie's tree kangaroo joey that made its first appearance from its mother's pouch at New York's Bronx Zoo, Thursday, July 18, 2024. (Wildlife Conservation Society/Terria Clay via AP)
This photo, provided by the Wildlife Conservation Society, shows a Matschie's tree kangaroo joey that made its first appearance from its mother's pouch at New York's Bronx Zoo, Thursday, July 18, 2024. (Wildlife Conservation Society/Terria Clay via AP)
TT

7-month-old Tree Kangaroo Peeks Out of Mom's Pouch at Bronx Zoo

This photo, provided by the Wildlife Conservation Society, shows a Matschie's tree kangaroo joey that made its first appearance from its mother's pouch at New York's Bronx Zoo, Thursday, July 18, 2024. (Wildlife Conservation Society/Terria Clay via AP)
This photo, provided by the Wildlife Conservation Society, shows a Matschie's tree kangaroo joey that made its first appearance from its mother's pouch at New York's Bronx Zoo, Thursday, July 18, 2024. (Wildlife Conservation Society/Terria Clay via AP)

The second baby of a tree-dwelling kangaroo made its public debut this week in New York, poking its pink head out of its mom's furry white pouch.

The tiny Matschie’s tree kangaroo, or Dendrolagus matschiei, was born in December and is the second born to the same mother since 2022. It also was the third of its kind born at the Bronx Zoo since 2008, The Associated Press reported.

The tree kangaroo species only gestate for about six weeks before they are born and immediately crawl into their marsupial moms' pouches, the zoo said in a statement. It takes around seven months for the young to start peeking out of the pouch.

There are only around 2,500 tree kangaroos in the wild and 42 in captivity, the zoo said. In a statement Friday, a Bronx Zoo spokesperson said that the kangaroo's birth was significant for the network of zoos that aims to preserve genetic diversity among endangered animals.

"It's a small population and because of that births are not very common," said Jessica Moody, curator of primates and small mammals at the Bronx Zoo. “So it's a rare and exciting event,” adding that baby tree kangaroos are “possibly one of the cutest animals to have ever lived. They look like stuffed animals, it's amazing.”

The tree kangaroos are native to the Huon Peninsula in Papua New Guinea, where they are threatened by human activities such as habitat destruction and hunting, the statement said. They live primarily in trees and are smaller than Australia’s better-known red kangaroo. An adult tree kangaroo weighs between 20 and 25 pounds (9–11 kilograms). The joeys are about the size of a human thumb when they are born, but grow to as long as 30 inches (76 centimeters).