عربي English Türkçe اردو فارسى
Logo
Latest News
Varieties

Twin Endangered Arabian Sand Gazelles Born at King Salman bin Abdulaziz Royal Reserve

The field team of Saudi Arabia’s King Salman bin Abdulaziz Royal Reserve observed in September the birth of twin endangered Arabian sand gazelles. (SPA)
The field team of Saudi Arabia’s King Salman bin Abdulaziz Royal Reserve observed in September the birth of twin endangered Arabian sand gazelles. (SPA)
TT
TT

Twin Endangered Arabian Sand Gazelles Born at King Salman bin Abdulaziz Royal Reserve

The field team of Saudi Arabia’s King Salman bin Abdulaziz Royal Reserve observed in September the birth of twin endangered Arabian sand gazelles. (SPA)
The field team of Saudi Arabia’s King Salman bin Abdulaziz Royal Reserve observed in September the birth of twin endangered Arabian sand gazelles. (SPA)

The field team of Saudi Arabia’s King Salman bin Abdulaziz Royal Reserve observed in September the birth of twin endangered Arabian sand gazelles, marking the 84th birth of Arabian gazelles within the reserve, reported the Saudi Press Agency on Thursday.

The milestone highlights the authority’s efforts to safeguard wildlife and create a thriving environment for their growth and reproduction.

The authority emphasized that the successful reproduction of these animals reflects the quality and suitability of the natural habitats within the reserve. This success is part of ongoing efforts to preserve endangered species. The reserve has recorded more than 120 mammal births, including oryx, Arabian sand gazelles, and ibex, in its protected areas.

The milestone highlights the authority’s efforts to safeguard wildlife and create a thriving environment for their growth and reproduction. (SPA)

These achievements demonstrate the authority’s dedication to wildlife conservation, evidenced by the release of various endangered species and the creation of tailored environments to support each species. The field team conducts rigorous and regular monitoring to protect these animals and ensure their safety.

Spanning an impressive 130,700 square kilometers, the King Salman bin Abdulaziz Royal Reserve is the largest natural wildlife reserve in the Middle East. It covers four administrative regions: Al-Jawf, Hail, the Northern Borders, and Tabuk. The reserve boasts diverse natural habitats, varied terrain, and unique geographical formations.

Most Viewed

 
 
Varieties

Finland Zoo to Return Giant Pandas to China because they're Too Expensive to Keep

FILE - Female panda Jin Bao Bao, named Lumi in Finnish, plays in the snow on the opening day of the Snowpanda Resort in Ahtari Zoo, in Ahtari, Finland, Saturday Feb. 17, 2018. (Roni Rekomaa/Lehtikuva via AP), File)
FILE - Female panda Jin Bao Bao, named Lumi in Finnish, plays in the snow on the opening day of the Snowpanda Resort in Ahtari Zoo, in Ahtari, Finland, Saturday Feb. 17, 2018. (Roni Rekomaa/Lehtikuva via AP), File)
TT
TT

Finland Zoo to Return Giant Pandas to China because they're Too Expensive to Keep

FILE - Female panda Jin Bao Bao, named Lumi in Finnish, plays in the snow on the opening day of the Snowpanda Resort in Ahtari Zoo, in Ahtari, Finland, Saturday Feb. 17, 2018. (Roni Rekomaa/Lehtikuva via AP), File)
FILE - Female panda Jin Bao Bao, named Lumi in Finnish, plays in the snow on the opening day of the Snowpanda Resort in Ahtari Zoo, in Ahtari, Finland, Saturday Feb. 17, 2018. (Roni Rekomaa/Lehtikuva via AP), File)

A zoo in Finland has agreed with Chinese authorities to return two loaned giant pandas to China more than eight years ahead of schedule because they have become too expensive for the facility to maintain amid declining visitors.
The private Ähtäri Zoo in central Finland some 330 kilometers north of Helsinki said Wednesday on its Facebook page that the female panda Lumi, Finnish for “snow,” and the male panda Pyry, meaning “snowfall,” will return “prematurely” to China later this year, The Associated Press reported.
The panda pair was China’s gift to mark the Nordic nation’s 100 years of independence in 2017, and they were supposed to be on loan until 2033.
But since then the zoo has experienced a number of challenges, including a decline in visitors due to the 2020 coronavirus pandemic and the conflict between Russia and Ukraine, as well as an increase in inflation and interest rates, the facility said in a statement.
The panda deal between Helsinki and Beijing, a 15-year loan agreement, had been finalized in April 2017 when Chinese President Xi Jinping visited Finland for talks with Finland's then-President Sauli Niinistö. The pandas arrived in Finland in January 2018.
The Ähtäri Zoo, which specializes in typical northern European animals such as bears, lynxes and wolverines, built a special panda annex at a cost of some 8 million euros ($9 million) in hopes of luring more tourists to the remote nature reserve.
The upkeep of Lumi and Pyry, including a preservation fee to China, cost the zoo some 1.5 million euros annually. The bamboo that giant pandas eat was flown in from the Netherlands.
The Chinese Embassy in Helsinki noted to Finnish media that Beijing had tried to help Ähtäri to solve its financial difficulties by, among things, urging Chinese companies operating in Finland to make donations to the zoo and supporting its debt arrangements.
However, declining visitor numbers combined with drastic changes in the economic environment proved too high a burden for the smallish Finnish zoo. The panda pair will enter into a monthlong quarantine in late October before being shipped to China.
Finland, a country of 5.6 million, was among the first Western nations to establish political ties with China, doing so in 1950. China has presented giant pandas to countries as a sign of goodwill and closer political ties, and Finland was the first Nordic nation to receive them.