The Prince Mohammed bin Salman Royal Reserve has marked a major milestone in its rewilding program with the reintroduction of the critically endangered red-necked ostrich, historically known as the “camel bird,” as a biological replacement for the extinct Arabian ostrich after an absence of nearly a century. Once widespread across the deserts of the Arabian Peninsula, the Arabian ostrich became extinct in the early 20th century due to overhunting and habitat loss. The red-necked ostrich, its closest surviving genetic relative, was selected for reintroduction because of its biological similarity and its ability to thrive in arid desert environments. An initial founder group of five red-necked ostriches has been released into the reserve under a board-approved rewilding program aimed at restoring historical biodiversity across the reserve’s 24,500-square-kilometer terrestrial and marine landscape. The ostrich becomes the 12th of 23 historically native species being reintroduced as part of the reserve’s long-term ecosystem restoration strategy. Andrew Zaloumis, CEO of the Prince Mohammed bin Salman Royal Reserve, said the return of the species represents a critical step in restoring desert ecosystems shaped by large grazing and browsing animals. “The return of ‘camel birds’ to their historic rangelands supports the restoration of desert ecosystems shaped historically […]