TABUK — Coinciding with World Lion Day on August 10, the Prince Mohammed bin Salman Royal Reserve reaffirmed its commitment to reintroducing the endangered Asiatic lion (Panthera leo leo), one of 23 species historically confirmed to have inhabited the reserve. Across its 24,500-square-kilometer area, the reserve is restoring ecosystems and building a sustainable food web capable of supporting the eventual return of the apex predator to its historic habitat. Around 12,000 years ago, during the “Green Arabia” period, a fertile habitat corridor stretched from Africa across the Arabian Peninsula, supporting large populations of herbivores and predators, including lions. **media[2749197]** By the late 19th century, however, overhunting and the spread of modern firearms had contributed to the disappearance of the last lion populations from the Arabian Peninsula. The Asiatic lion is classified as endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), with an estimated 1,100–1,300 remaining in the wild globally. Reserve CEO Andrew Zaloumis said the lion was “once part of the ancient landscape of the Prince Mohammed bin Salman Royal Reserve.” He explained that restoring an apex predator “of this scale is a generational journey, not an event tied to a specific date.” “Today, we are building the ecological foundations needed to make its return to its historic habitat possible in the future,” Zaloumis said. **media[2749195]** Depictions of lions have been documented at more than a dozen rock art sites across the reserve, providing a historical record of their presence in the landscape. Today, an estimated 891 lions live in the Greater Gir region of western India, while the remaining wild populations are found in small, fragmented groups in West and Central Africa. The reserve said its restoration efforts aim to recreate the ecological conditions that could eventually allow the lion to return to its historic habitat. Under its Arabian Wildlife Restoration Initiative, the reserve aims to reintroduce 23 historically occurring species. So far, 14 have been successfully reintroduced, with six successfully breeding within the reserve. **media[2749196]** Species including the Arabian hare, red-necked ostrich and Persian wild ass (onager) play important roles in seed dispersal, regulating grazing patterns, nutrient cycling and soil aeration — ecological functions that help rebuild a food web capable of supporting apex predators. The reserve stressed that the process cannot be rushed, with each species reintroduced and ecological function restored forming part of a long-term effort to rebuild a healthy and sustainable ecosystem. The restoration effort also aims to reduce land degradation and desertification and strengthen resilience to the local impacts of climate change.
