CONSERVATION OF ARABIAN GAZELLES - Nwrc.gov.sa

The NCWCD has over 1,000 rheem in captivity (around 400 at Thumamah and more than
600 at Qassim) and there are reports of large numbers in captivity in Bahrain, Qatar and on islands in
the Gulf. It is likely that the total number of rheem in captivity runs into several thousands.
However, as is so often the case, the value of the captive rheem populations is clouded by uncertainty
about the origins and pedigrees of the animals.
Rheem from the NCWCD's two captive populations are currently being reintroduced to the
Mahazat as-Sayd protected area, 150 !an north-east of Taif. Early indications are that the animals are
adapting well 10 a free-ranging situation. A recent estimate (Smith, pers. comm.) puts the population
of the protected area at 200.
JORDAN AI Harrah
Al ' . ·Nafud!
KhunfaA ' . .
orthern
SAUDI ARABIA
eJaz
Jabal Kallab
• Medina •
Riyadh
TAR
Rakba Plain
Jeddah
• Mecca
'1", .
~
.>. OJ ,
~ ..,~"
\ %,
'Rub al Khali ·· ·
I
YEMEN
Figure 3.1 Arabian Peninsula, showing major geographical features . Stippled area shows major sand deserts.
(Redrawn from Thouless et al., 1991).
Idmi
In Saudi Arabia, relict populations of idmi occur in the northern reserves of Harrat ai-Harrah and AJ­
Khunfah and in various places in the Tihama coastal plain and the Hejaz and the Sarawat mountains.
In addition a population of more than 500 occupies the Farasan archipelago (Figure 3.1).
All historical and recent records of idmi in Saudi Arabia are from the western side of the
Kingdom. The absence of records from the remainder of the region illustrates the inadequacy of the
historical record, because local informants are adamant that idmi also occurred in the eastern part of
the Arabian Peninsula.
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