Riyadh, 04 September 2025: Two Endangered Eurasian Griffon vultures, satellite tagged and released by Prince Mohammed bin Salman Royal Reserve, have travelled 245,632 kilometres, through eight countries, over the past 29 months. This real-time data is the first of its kind in Saudi Arabia. Released for International Vulture Awareness Day it brings awareness to the global conservation crisis facing vultures and reinforces the need for cross-border conservation co-operation to ensure the species’ survival.

The vultures were released on 3rd April 2023. The first vulture has journeyed 119,499km to date from the Reserve in northwest Saudi Arabia, through Jordan, Syria, Iraq, Turkey, Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Iran. In winter 2023, the vulture returned to southwestern Saudi Arabia, travelling via the Reserve, and then in Spring 2024 migrated north where it has since resided in the mountains of Armenia and Azerbaijan. To date it has reached altitudes of 6,527m above sea level, speeds of 123km/h and experienced air temperatures ranging from 9°c to 54°c.

The second bird flew from the Reserve to Iraq, reaching a maximum altitude of 9,029m above sea level (that’s three times the altitude of a light aircraft) and a maximum flight speed of 128km/h, before settling in the Lesser Caucasus Mountains in Turkey and Iran. It has travelled 126,133 km to date, traversing Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Iraq, Turkey and Iran.

These behaviors show that individuals of the same species behave differently, some migrating and others becoming resident, indicating the need for different management strategies.

“This tracking data represents the first comprehensive study of Eurasian Griffon vulture movements in Saudi Arabia and beyond, providing real-time baseline information that was previously unavailable to conservationists,” explains Andrew Zaloumis, CEO of Prince Mohammed bin Salman Royal Reserve. “The data reveals these birds have travelled the equivalent of six circumnavigations around the Earth in less than 2.5 years — an incredible distance that underscores the opportunity and urgent need for regional conservation strategies to ensure their long-term survival. At a time when the IUCN is reporting that 16 of the world’s 23 vulture species are at risk of extinction, migratory bird populations must be managed as meta-populations across borders if we are to secure their future.”

Prince Mohammed bin Salman Royal Reserve, in collaboration with the National Centre for Wildlife, rehabilitated and rewilded the two rescued Eurasian Griffon vultures in April 2023 and has been recording their movements ever since. The 24,500km2 terrestrial and marine Reserve was selected for the release because it offers ideal habitat for Griffon Vulture nesting and roosting. The Reserve fitted solar-powered satellite transmitters to both birds to monitor their dispersal and migration patterns following release. The satellite tags will fall off after approximately 3 years, when the Teflon tape holding them naturally decomposes.

The birds were tagged as part of the Reserve’s efforts to understand the movement of large migratory species, specifically throughout Saudi Arabia, where little information exists. The satellite tags provide real-time data on migration routes, utilisation of habitats, critical stop over points, and congregation areas. This information is critical to filling knowledge gaps in the movements of vultures both throughout the Reserve, and regionally.

Vultures face an unprecedented global conservation crisis. Despite their essential role in maintaining ecosystem health and preventing disease outbreaks by acting as nature’s ‘clean-up crew,’ all vulture species are now classified as threatened on the regional IUCN Red List. Highly susceptible to poisoning, both intentional and accidental, vultures are also under threat from habitat loss, illegal poaching for trade, and electrocution from power lines.

Thanks to this data, the Reserve can inform and implement management strategies. The tagged birds provided information on the presence of resident, and migratory vultures which then aided in the Reserve monitoring program focussing and targeting specific locations within the Reserve. As a result, the Reserve monitors the habitat of both tagged and untagged vulture populations, and their habitats are afforded the highest level of protection under the Reserve’s zonation plan. The discovery in September 2024 of four active Eurasian Griffon vulture nests in three separate breeding colonies is testament to the Reserve’s conservation work and role as a sanctuary for the Kingdom’s natural heritage.

The Reserve is committed to sharing its findings with the local and global scientific and conservation community and has published eight peer-reviewed papers to date with five more in drafting. Through Saudi Arabia’s commitment, alongside 132 other countries, to the Convention on Migratory Species (CMS), which promotes the conservation of migratory animals and their habitats across national borders, over 150 species are registered, including Griffon vultures. This new data can globally aid in the research to secure and support migratory species through contributions to species specific action plans, working groups and regional assessments. Through collaboration with global organisations such as BirdLife International, this data can facilitate the establishment of Important Bird Areas or Protected Areas and inform local and regional conservation strategies with fellow Royal Reserves, protected areas and regional conservation partners.

About Prince Mohammed bin Salman Royal Reserve

 One of eight Royal Reserves, the 24,500 km² Prince Mohammed bin Salman Royal Reserve stretches from the lava plains of the Harrats to the deep Red Sea in the west, connecting NEOM, Red Sea Global, and AlUla. It is home to PIF’s Wadi Al Disah project and Red Sea Global’s Destination AMAALA.

The Reserve encompasses 15 distinct ecosystems. At just 1% of the Kingdom’s terrestrial area and 1.8% of its marine area, it boasts over 50% of the Kingdom’s species, making it one of the most biodiverse protected areas in the Middle East.

The Reserve is committed to restoring and conserving the natural and cultural environment. This includes the reintroduction of 23 historically occurring native species, 11 of which have already been reintroduced including the Arabian oryx, Persian Onager, Sand gazelle and Mountain gazelle, as part of a wide-ranging rewilding program.

Prince Mohammed bin Salman Royal Reserve is one of eight royal reserves established by royal decree and overseen by the Royal Reserves Council chaired by His Royal Highness the Crown Prince. The Reserve’s programme is integrated with Saudi Arabia’s wider sustainability and conservation programs, including the Saudi Green and Middle East Green Initiatives.