Saudi Falcons Club releases falcons in Kazakhstan to support ecological balance
The Saudi Falcons Club released a number of saker falcons in the Republic of Kazakhstan, as part of the international track of the Haddad program, which the club is implementing as part of integrated scientific efforts aimed at relocating falcons to their natural habitats, and enhancing their stability and reproduction in nature, UNA-OIC reports.
The release took place in the Altyn Emel National Park in Kazakhstan, which was chosen according to precise environmental and scientific criteria, including the suitability of the natural environment, the vastness of open habitats, the abundance of prey, and its location as a natural habitat for falcons during the breeding season.
The launch site witnessed the presence of a number of officials and specialists from both the Saudi and Kazakh sides, where the Vice President of the Saudi Falcons Club, Mr. Ahmed Al-Hababi, delivered a speech in which he stressed that in response to the challenges facing falcons, especially the saker falcon, which is one of the endangered wild creatures, the Saudi Falcons Club launched the Haddad program, which aims to promote the sustainability of falcons and support environmental efforts that contribute to the reproduction of falcons in nature through a local route for releasing the mountain peregrine and lanner falcons in their environments within the Kingdom, and an international route for releasing falcons of the saker and sea peregrine types internationally in their environments outside the Kingdom.
Al-Hababi also stressed the importance of the existing cooperation between the relevant authorities in the Kingdom and the Republic of Kazakhstan, noting that in light of the challenges facing falcons in nature, the Haddad program came as a practical and scientific response to return falcons to their natural habitats, to enhance the natural balance and support the sustainability of endangered falcon species.
For his part, Mr. Jonas Bekov, Governor of the Kirbulak District, thanked the Queen for bringing life back to the skies of the Tin-e-Imel Reserve by releasing falcons, and for her generous support in protecting it from extinction, noting that this is a precious gift for future generations.
The head of the Altin Reserve, Emil Bayturbayev Kuwat Nur Rahimulu, expressed the reserve’s pride in hosting the Haddad program initiative to release falcons in Kazakhstan, stressing that, in cooperation with the Saudi Falcons Club, the released falcons will be protected and their breeding will be monitored within the reserve.
The release of falcons in Kazakhstan, which is one of the most important native habitats of the saker falcon, represents an extension of the Kingdom’s efforts to preserve falcons and support endangered species.
The launch ceremony was attended on the Saudi side by representatives of the Saudi Embassy in Kazakhstan, the National Center for Wildlife Development, the Special Forces for Environmental Security, and a number of officials from the Saudi Falcons Club, while on the Kazakh side it was attended by representatives of the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources, the Alyn Emel Reserve, the Zoological Research Institute, and the local community.
Earlier, Qazinform reported that a falcon had fetched SAR57,000 at the Saudi Falcons Club auction opening.