Prince Mohammed bin Salman Royal Reserve Development Authority Discovers Endangered Vulture Breeding Colonies

Griffon vultures coexist with other predators, such as wolves and hyenas, who play an essential role in vultures' ability to feed. (SPA)
Griffon vultures coexist with other predators, such as wolves and hyenas, who play an essential role in vultures' ability to feed. (SPA)
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Prince Mohammed bin Salman Royal Reserve Development Authority Discovers Endangered Vulture Breeding Colonies

Griffon vultures coexist with other predators, such as wolves and hyenas, who play an essential role in vultures' ability to feed. (SPA)
Griffon vultures coexist with other predators, such as wolves and hyenas, who play an essential role in vultures' ability to feed. (SPA)

The Prince Mohammed bin Salman Royal Reserve Development Authority announced on Friday the rare discovery of three breeding colonies of Eurasian Griffon vultures The Griffon vulture is listed as endangered in the Middle East.

It made the announcement on World Vulture Awareness Day.

The Griffon vulture and vultures globally face a serious conservation crisis, the Authority said in a statement. Acting as nature's clean-up crew, vultures are essential to maintaining healthy ecosystems and preventing disease outbreaks.

“The endangered Griffon vulture is an uncommon breeding resident in Saudi Arabia. Reserve scientists have discovered four active nests with adults incubating eggs and raising chicks using drones and are closely monitoring them,” said Andrew Zaloumis, CEO of Prince Mohammed bin Salman Royal Reserve Development Authority.

“Griffon vultures are a significant indicator of the reserve's improving environmental health. These breeding colonies are a testament to the reserve's conservation work and role as a sanctuary for Saudi Arabia's natural heritage,” he added.

In 2023, two Griffon vultures were tagged and released into the reserve in a joint initiative with the National Center for Wildlife. (SPA)

Under the reserve's recently launched Integrated Development Management Plan, vulture breeding colonies are afforded the highest level of protection. The 24,500 km² Prince Mohammed bin Salman Royal Reserve stretches from the lava plains of the Harrat Rahat volcanic fields to the deep Red Sea in the west and is home to 15 distinct ecosystems and over 50% of the Kingdom's species, making it one of the most biodiverse protected areas in the Middle East.

Individual Griffon vultures have previously been recorded roosting throughout the reserve's mountain ranges, however this is the first time breeding colonies with nesting sites have been confirmed. Four active nests in three separate breeding colonies with adults incubating eggs and chicks approximately two to three months of age were discovered in the sandstone mountains of the Jabel Qaraqir section of the reserve. A further 37 potential nesting sites are also being monitored.

In 2023, two Griffon vultures were tagged and released into the reserve in a joint initiative with the National Center for Wildlife.

Griffon vultures coexist with other predators, such as wolves and hyenas, who play an essential role in vultures' ability to feed. The absence of predators and the widespread poisoning of vultures in many parts of the world results in few reaching breeding maturity. Building awareness of this wonder of nature that is responsible for supporting ecosystems' health and keeping diseases in check is essential for the conservation of the species.

The reserve's restoration and rewilding initiative is reestablishing safe vulture habitats and reintroducing prey species, and the recently discovered nests will continue to be monitored. At a local level, this is supported by the reserve-wide school's education and community outreach programs.



Spain Orders Airbnb to Block Nearly 66,000 Holiday Rental Listings over Rule Violations

Demonstrators march shouting slogans against the Formula 1 Barcelona Fan Festival in downtown Barcelona, Spain, Wednesday, June 19, 2024, during residents protest against mass tourism. (AP Photo/Emilio Morenatti, File)
Demonstrators march shouting slogans against the Formula 1 Barcelona Fan Festival in downtown Barcelona, Spain, Wednesday, June 19, 2024, during residents protest against mass tourism. (AP Photo/Emilio Morenatti, File)
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Spain Orders Airbnb to Block Nearly 66,000 Holiday Rental Listings over Rule Violations

Demonstrators march shouting slogans against the Formula 1 Barcelona Fan Festival in downtown Barcelona, Spain, Wednesday, June 19, 2024, during residents protest against mass tourism. (AP Photo/Emilio Morenatti, File)
Demonstrators march shouting slogans against the Formula 1 Barcelona Fan Festival in downtown Barcelona, Spain, Wednesday, June 19, 2024, during residents protest against mass tourism. (AP Photo/Emilio Morenatti, File)

Spain has ordered Airbnb to block more than 65,000 holiday listings on its platform for having violated rules, the Consumer Rights Ministry said Monday.

The ministry said that many of the 65,935 Airbnb listings it had ordered to be withdrawn did not include their license number or specify whether the owner was an individual or a company. Others listed numbers that didn't match what authorities had, it said.

Spain is grappling with a housing affordability crisis that has spurred government action against short-term rental companies.

In recent months, tens of thousands of Spaniards have taken to the streets protesting rising housing and rental costs, which many say have been driven up by holiday rentals on platforms like Airbnb that have proliferated in cities like Madrid and Barcelona and many other popular tourist destinations, The AP news reported.

“Enough already with protecting those who make a business out of the right to housing,” Consumer Minister Pablo Bustinduy told reporters on Monday.

Airbnb said that it would appeal the decision. Through a spokesperson, the company said it did not think the ministry was authorized to rule on short-term rentals — and that it had utilized “an indiscriminate methodology” to include Airbnb rentals that do not need a license to operate.

Last year, Barcelona announced a plan to close down all of the 10,000 apartments licensed in the city as short-term rentals by 2028 to safeguard the housing supply for full-time residents.

The ministry said it had notified Airbnb of the noncompliant listings months ago, but that the company had appealed the move in court.

Spain's government said Madrid’s high court had backed the order sent to Airbnb. Bustinduy said it involved the immediate removal of 5,800 rental listings from the site. Two subsequent orders would be issued until the nearly 66,000 removals are reached, he said.

Spain's government said the first round of affected properties were located across the country, including in the capital, Madrid, as well as in the regions of Andalusia and Catalonia, whose capital is Barcelona.