Diversity of terrestrial mammals in the Kingdom
In the Kingdom there are about 86 species of mammals, 28 species of bats, 22 species of rodents, 12 species of carnivores, and one type of primates (baboons) in addition to 4 species of angulates, including the Arabian oryx, which is the only type of oryxes present in the kingdom.
Large mammals represent important elements in ecosystems, as their condition indicates the safety of the ecosystem in which they are found. In recent years, large mammals in the Kingdom have been subjected to great pressures, and some of them have gone extinct from the wild, and others have become threatened or rare, as the Arabian leopard is currently threatened with extinction as its numbers in the wild are currently estimated at no more than 150 Arabian leopards.
Large groups of Arabian Oryx roamed the Arabian Peninsula, and their numbers due to overhunting and their ecological habitats began to decline during the nineteenth century. Thanks to the Kingdom's efforts in the field of captive breeding and reintroduction, these animals have been returned to live in the wild within some protected areas.
Gazelles were widespread in the Arabian Peninsula until the thirties of the twentieth century, and the herds of Sand gazelle (Reem gazelle) and mountain gazelle (Idami gazelle) continued to decline. The Kingdom succeeded once again in the program of captive breeding and reintroduction, which achieved the preservation of both Reem and Idmi gazelles inside the protected areas. The establishment of reserves in several places in the Kingdom also contributed to the proliferation of some endangered animals, especially oryx, gazelles, Ibex, ostriches and others.
