“Five red-necked ostriches have been released in a nature reserve in Saudi Arabia as part of an ambitious plan to ‘rewild’ the region.

In December, conservationists announced the release of the tall, leggy birds into Prince Mohammed bin Salman Royal Reserve, a 9,460-square-mile protected area in the northwest part of the country.

Red-necked ostriches, also known as North African or Barbary ostriches, are meant to serve as a biological replacement for Arabian ostriches, which used to inhabit the region but went extinct in 1941 because of overhunting and habitat loss. The wiped-out subspecies’ closest living relative is the red-necked ostrich, which has biological features that aid its survival in a harsh desert environment.

But red-necked ostriches are also on the brink of extinction, with fewer than 1,000 birds remaining in scattered pockets across Africa’s semi-arid region in the central north, per the announcement. Some experts consider the subspecies to be critically endangered. Biologists hope members of the recently introduced population will reproduce and help bolster the birds’ numbers.

The ostriches mark the 12th species to be reintroduced to the nature reserve, along with Arabian oryx, Persian onager, sand gazelle and mountain gazelle. Conservationists hope to eventually bring back a total of 23 historically occurring native species as part of a broader, long-term ecosystem restoration plan. The reserve is partnering on the initiative with the National Center for Wildlife, as well as Imam Turki bin Abdullah Royal Nature Reserve, Imam Saud bin Abdulaziz Royal Reserve, Aramco, NEOM and AlUla.”

From Smithsonian Magazine.