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Saudi Arabia: Over 20 Spiny-Tailed Lizards Released into King Khalid Royal Reserve

More than 20 spiny-tailed lizards have been released into the King Khalid Royal Reserve. SPA
More than 20 spiny-tailed lizards have been released into the King Khalid Royal Reserve. SPA
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Saudi Arabia: Over 20 Spiny-Tailed Lizards Released into King Khalid Royal Reserve

More than 20 spiny-tailed lizards have been released into the King Khalid Royal Reserve. SPA
More than 20 spiny-tailed lizards have been released into the King Khalid Royal Reserve. SPA

The Imam Abdulaziz bin Mohammed Royal Reserve Development Authority, in cooperation with the National Center for Wildlife (NCW), has released more than 20 spiny-tailed lizards into the King Khalid Royal Reserve as part of joint programs aimed at reintroducing endangered wildlife species into their natural habitats.

The Imam Abdulaziz bin Mohammed Royal Reserve Development Authority explained that the release aimed to boost the population of spiny-tailed lizards in the King Khalid Royal Reserve, allowing them to play their role in nature and contribute to ecological balance, amid warnings from the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) about the spiny-tailed lizard being classified as an endangered species.

The authority also said that the release of the lizards is part of a wider endeavor that seeks to increase the population of endangered species in realization of the national environment conservation strategy and the Saudi Vision 2030.

The authority, in cooperation with NCW, has released several endangered species, including the Arabian sand gazelle, mountain gazelle, Arabian oryx, and Nubian ibex, among others.

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Another Rare Javan Rhino Calf Spotted at Indonesia Park

This 2021 handout image released by Indonesia's environment ministry shows one of two rare Javan rhino calves that were caught on video in Ujung Kulon National Park. Photo: MINISTRY OF ENVIRONMENT AND FORESTRY REPUBLIC OF INDONESIA/AFP/File
This 2021 handout image released by Indonesia's environment ministry shows one of two rare Javan rhino calves that were caught on video in Ujung Kulon National Park. Photo: MINISTRY OF ENVIRONMENT AND FORESTRY REPUBLIC OF INDONESIA/AFP/File
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Another Rare Javan Rhino Calf Spotted at Indonesia Park

This 2021 handout image released by Indonesia's environment ministry shows one of two rare Javan rhino calves that were caught on video in Ujung Kulon National Park. Photo: MINISTRY OF ENVIRONMENT AND FORESTRY REPUBLIC OF INDONESIA/AFP/File
This 2021 handout image released by Indonesia's environment ministry shows one of two rare Javan rhino calves that were caught on video in Ujung Kulon National Park. Photo: MINISTRY OF ENVIRONMENT AND FORESTRY REPUBLIC OF INDONESIA/AFP/File

A new Javan rhino calf has been spotted in an Indonesian national park, the facility's head said Friday, further boosting hopes for one of the world's most endangered mammals after two other sightings this year.

The female calf, believed to be between three and five months old, was spotted in camera trap footage taken in May at Java's Ujung Kulon National Park, a find only made public Thursday by Indonesia's environment and forestry ministry, Agence France Presse reported.

The mammal named Iris was seen walking with her mother, said Ardi Andono, head of the park.

"This is positive news for the wider community that the Javan rhino is still sustainable," Ardi told AFP Friday.

The park official said Iris, the third calf identified this year, was found after authorities deployed more than 100 camera traps across the national park in February.

"We always use the assumption that every location has the same potential... to obtain the rhinos' photos," said Ardi.

He said two more calves were spotted earlier this year at the park, which is the only habitat left for the critically endangered animal.

After years of population decline, authorities believe there are 82 Javan rhinos left inside the 120,000-hectare sanctuary of lush rainforest and freshwater streams.

The rhinos, which have folds of loose skin giving them the appearance of wearing armor plating, once numbered in the thousands across Southeast Asia but have been hard hit by rampant poaching and human encroachment.

Activists have disputed official figures after authorities recently uncovered a poaching gang that claimed to have killed 26 rhinos since 2018.