The release, organized by the Ukrainian Center for Chiropteran Rehabilitation, drew more than 1,000 attendees on Saturday evening, including families, off-duty soldiers and wildlife enthusiasts.

The event coincided with the onset of spring following a winter marked by subzero temperatures, repeated Russian drone and missile attacks, and widespread power disruptions.Volunteers opened cloth bags at dusk, allowing the bats to take flight as onlookers observed and applauded.

Many of the animals had been rescued from eastern regions affected by fighting, where destruction of buildings has disrupted natural habitats.Anastasiia Vovk, a volunteer with the rehabilitation center, said all 28 bat species in Ukraine are listed as protected due to declining populations.

She said conservation efforts were critical, noting that the animals are included on endangered species lists.Experts say the war has compounded threats to bat populations. Explosions and structural damage have destroyed traditional roosting sites, while disturbances during winter hibernation can be fatal.

Bats reproduce slowly, typically bearing one or two offspring annually, limiting population recovery.Alona Shulenko, who led the release, said habitat loss has forced bats into urban areas, where they shelter in buildings and balconies.

Repairs or demolition of such structures can destroy entire colonies, she added.Ukraine lies along an important eastern European migratory route for bats, all of which in the country are insect-eating and legally protected.

The rehabilitation center said it has rescued more than 30,000 bats overall, including around 4,000 during the past winter.Attendees described the event as a rare opportunity for normalcy amid the conflict.

Oleksii Beliaiev, a Kyiv resident attending with his family, said the gathering provided a temporary distraction from wartime pressures, though he noted the conflict remains the central concern for most Ukrainians.

Shulenko said the organization would continue its work despite the challenges posed by the war, emphasizing that halting rescue efforts could result in significant losses to already vulnerable bat populations.

The analysis, led by Dr. Zeb Hogan of the University of Nevada, evaluated data on more than 15,000 freshwater species and identified a significant collapse in migratory populations across major river systems.

The report highlights that these migrations, which rank among the largest animal movements globally, are increasingly disrupted. Species such as the dorado catfish, which travels an estimated 11,000 kilometres between the Andes foothills and the Amazon estuary, exemplify the scale of these journeys.

More widely known migratory species, including salmon and eels, are also affected.

According to the CMS assessment, freshwater ecosystems are particularly vulnerable to human activity. Pollution entering rivers and lakes, the construction of dams that obstruct migration routes, and overfishing have collectively reduced fish populations.

Rising water temperatures linked to climate change are compounding these pressures.Amy Fraenkel, executive secretary of CMS, stated that migratory species face increasing challenges throughout their life cycles, often crossing multiple national boundaries.

The report underscores that coordinated international action is necessary to address these pressures, particularly as river systems frequently span more than one country.

Migratory freshwater fish support some of the world’s largest inland fisheries and are a critical source of food and livelihoods for hundreds of millions of people. In Cambodia’s Tonlé Sap lake, part of the Mekong river system, more than 100 migratory species contribute to high-yield fisheries, with catches reaching several tonnes within short periods, according to Hogan.

The report identifies 325 freshwater fish species that cross international borders and could qualify for enhanced protection under CMS frameworks. However, only 24 species are currently listed, many of them sturgeon historically targeted for caviar production.

Delegates from 132 CMS member states are meeting in Brazil, where improving river connectivity and protecting migratory pathways form a central part of discussions.

Proposed measures include removing or preventing barriers such as dams, maintaining adequate water flows, reducing pollution, and coordinating fisheries management across borders.

The Amazon basin remains one of the last relatively intact strongholds for migratory freshwater fish. Regional initiatives, including a proposed decade-long conservation plan for migratory catfish, are being considered as potential models for other river systems.

The Mekong basin is identified as a region of acute concern, with large migratory species facing heightened extinction risks due to overfishing and habitat disruption. Key countries in the basin, including Thailand, Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam, are not currently part of the CMS treaty framework.

Other priority basins highlighted in the assessment include the Danube, Nile and Ganges-Brahmaputra systems.

The report also notes past losses, including the extinction of the Chinese paddlefish in the Yangtze River, attributed to habitat disruption following the construction of the Gezhouba dam in 1981.

The release of 20 Asian houbara within the Prince Mohammed bin Salman Royal Reserve in Tabuk marks a milestone under the Kingdom’s ReWild Arabia mission, reflecting a shift toward science-led rewilding and long-term ecological restoration.

The initiative is being carried out in collaboration with national wildlife authorities and specialist conservation foundations to ensure the establishment of viable wild populations across Saudi Arabia.

Historically, the Asian houbara ranged widely from North Africa to East Asia and once bred extensively across the Arabian Peninsula, with migratory populations wintering in Saudi Arabia.

Over time, habitat loss, unsustainable hunting practices, and poaching led to a dramatic decline, leaving the species critically endangered and absent from the Kingdom’s wild landscapes for decades.

Conservation experts involved in the project say the latest release represents a turning point, as efforts now move beyond captive breeding toward ensuring survival and adaptation in natural environments.

Half of the released birds have been fitted with satellite tracking devices, allowing scientists to closely monitor their movements, survival rates, habitat preferences, and exposure to threats.

The data collected will help refine future release strategies and support long-term population recovery.

The Prince Mohammed bin Salman Royal Reserve provides an ideal setting for rewilding due to its vast protected area and diverse ecosystems.

Covering more than 24,500 square kilometers, the reserve supports large-scale habitat restoration, ranger patrols, and community engagement programs designed to safeguard wildlife and reduce human pressure on fragile ecosystems.

Officials involved in the project emphasize that restoring the Asian houbara carries both ecological and cultural importance. The species holds deep significance in Arabian falconry traditions, which were recognized by UNESCO as Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.

Reviving houbara populations helps preserve not only biodiversity but also a living cultural practice closely tied to the region’s history.

Saudi Arabia’s conservation journey with the houbara dates back to the mid-1980s, when the Kingdom established its first breeding and research centers to counter the species’ decline.

While breeding programs have achieved success in producing large numbers of birds, conservationists note that the ultimate challenge lies in enabling these birds to survive, reproduce, and sustain themselves in the wild.

The Asian houbara is now the 13th species to be reintroduced within the Prince Mohammed bin Salman Royal Reserve as part of an ambitious program to return 23 native species to their historical ranges.

The reserve spans landscapes from volcanic lava fields to the Red Sea coastline and links major development zones, balancing conservation with sustainable development.

Despite covering a small percentage of Saudi Arabia’s total land and marine area, the reserve hosts more than half of the Kingdom’s recorded species, making it one of the most biodiverse protected areas in the Middle East.

Conservation leaders say this highlights the importance of protected reserves in reversing biodiversity loss.

The reintroduction effort underscores Saudi Arabia’s growing role in regional and global conservation, aligning environmental protection with cultural heritage and sustainable land management.

Long-term monitoring and adaptive management will determine the program’s success, but early signs point to a renewed future for the Asian houbara in the Kingdom.

The program marks a major milestone in regional conservation efforts and reflects the Kingdom’s growing leadership in safeguarding marine ecosystems.

In a historic first, the reserve team successfully tagged a pre-nesting, egg-carrying green turtle, a breakthrough that will provide unprecedented insight into its migratory patterns.

This achievement will help close long-standing knowledge gaps and support unified conservation strategies across the Red Sea region.

Led by senior marine ecologist Ahmed Mohammed and marine megafauna specialist Hector Barrios-Garrido, the team captured and tagged three critically endangered hawksbill turtles and seven green turtles.

Their efforts marked a significant step forward in building a detailed scientific record of turtle behavior and movement.

The satellite tags monitor real-time routes, nesting grounds, feeding areas, and migratory pathways. This information is vital for ensuring the protection of nesting beaches and open-sea habitats that sustain turtle populations.

The data will also guide long-term management plans designed to safeguard these species across international borders.

The program builds on ongoing conservation efforts launched in 2023, expanding the reserve’s turtle monitoring and protection operations.

With 4,000 sq. km of protected waters and a 170 km coastline, the reserve forms one of the largest continuous stretches of managed marine territory in the Kingdom. It lies along an 800 km corridor of protected coastline linking Neom and Red Sea Global.

The reserve’s shores host five of the world’s seven turtle species and serve as a key breeding ground for both green and hawksbill turtles.

Ranger teams consistently patrol land and sea areas, safeguarding nesting sites essential to natal homing, the instinct that draws turtles back to the beaches where they were born.

CEO Andrew Zaloumis emphasized the urgency of protecting hawksbill turtles, which face a high risk of extinction. With fewer than 200 breeding-age females remaining in the Red Sea, every new data point strengthens conservation plans that can help secure the species’ future.

Zaloumis highlighted the immense migratory range of hawksbill turtles, which travel across hundreds of thousands of square kilometers before returning decades later to nest.

He noted that the new tracking technology is a transformative tool for mapping critical habitats and informing national and regional conservation policies.

The program also advances Saudi Arabia’s commitments under global environmental agreements, including the UN Convention on Migratory Species and the Indian Ocean–South-East Asian Marine Turtle Memorandum of Understanding.

This aligns with the Kingdom’s broader environmental vision and long-term sustainability goals.

Marine ecologist Ahmed Mohammed explained that the satellite tags are designed to operate for at least 12 months, providing continuous data on habitat use, seasonal behavior, and developmental zones.

Depth sensors attached to the tags also identify seagrass meadows, which are important feeding areas for green turtles and vital blue-carbon ecosystems.

While green turtles have been reclassified globally, they remain regionally vulnerable and still depend heavily on conservation frameworks to ensure survival. All five Red Sea turtle species continue to be protected under international migration conventions.

The new satellite-tracking initiative represents a major step in deepening scientific understanding, strengthening regional cooperation, and ensuring that endangered turtles can thrive across the Red Sea for generations to come.