RIYADH — In connection with the United Nations-sponsored World Environment Day on Saturday, June 5, the Saudi Falcons Club (SFC) highlighted its efforts to protect the environment and maintain its balance.
The World Environment Day theme for this year is consistent with the club's agenda, as it comes under the theme "Reimagine, Recreate, Restore." This is in line with the club's "Hadad" program's objectives of reintroducing endemic and migratory falcons to their natural habitats and restoring ecological balance. Additionally, taking care of wildlife.
Minister of Interior Prince Abdulaziz Bin Saud Bin Naif, chairman of Saudi Falcons Club's Board of Directors, gives generous and special care attention to "Hadad" program, the first initiative of its type is to organize the falconry hunting pastime, conserve its breeds, and reintroduce them to their habitats.
The program is structured in a such a way that its entails collecting participating falcons and releasing them within Saudi Arabia in the first stage, releasing another group of birds outside the Kingdom in the second stage, and monitoring them to determine the success of resettlement, the reproduction and chick production, as well as training them to be self-sufficient in the wild and hunt prey without assistance.
Saudi Falcon Club has studied the challenges facing falcons, especially rare breeds, in cooperation with the National Center for Wildlife Development and the Special Forces for Environmental Security, and their efforts are backed by locals, who participated in the first phase of the program to release falcons inside the Kingdom.
The SFC has been working in monitoring 28 nest that was revived in eight administrative regions, resulting in 60 chicks of "Lanner" and "Barbary" Falcons, that were endangered, according to what the club announced in May.
The "Hadad" program aims to inspire and support worldwide efforts to conserve migratory falcons and to promote the falconry hobby, therefore confirming the Kingdom's leading position as a center for falcons and falconers. — SPA
