Arabian Leopards in Saudi Arabia: Everything We Know About The Conservation Breeding Programme
Bazaar Arabia shares more on the conservation efforts of this majestic animal…
The Royal Commission of AlUla (RCU) has announced that they have almost doubled the leopard population of their conservation habitat since they began their breeding programme in 2020, marking an excellent achievement in international conservation.
Arabian Leopards are, in fact, native to the Arabian Peninsula, and they symbolically represent beauty, strength, fearlessness and freedom; however, in recent years, it has been estimated that there are fewer than 200 wild Leopards remaining in the region. The birth of the 7 cubs marks an incredible achievement for the RCUs, whose comprehensive regeneration targets seek to conserve AlUla’s natural flora and fauna. The Arabian Leopard species was classified as ‘Critically Endangered’ by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), which led to the creation of the Arabian Leopard Programme. The conservation programme began in 2020 with 14 leopards; however, today, that number is 27.
The next step…
Abdulaziz Alenzy, RCU breeding centre manager, announced and shared that of the new cubs, 5 will be cared for by their mothers without any intervention from the conservation team beyond standard CCTV observation. He explained that; “it is better if the mother bonds with her cub and raises it naturally.”
The remaining 2 cubs are being cared for by staff after their Mother abandoned them; he notes that this was not unusual for the species, explaining, “Sometimes, often with new mothers, there is a chance she might abandon it due to a lack of experience. In the wild, she could leave it for dead. As the Arabian leopard is such an important species and a critically endangered animal, we have taken the decision to step in.”
ضمن مستهدفاتنا لإعادة تأهيل النظم البيئية، تعلن @RCU_SA ولادة سبعة من صغار #النمر_العربي (هراميس) في مركز الإكثار هذا العام، ضمن مساعينا لإعادته إلى موائله الطبيعية، والموجود ضمن القائمة الحمراء لـ @IUCN للكائنات المهددة بالانقراض بشدة. pic.twitter.com/xWn6j6pPMg
— الهيئة الملكية لمحافظة العلا (@RCU_SA) November 8, 2023
The Arabian Leopard Fund was commissioned to create a $ 25 million (Approximately AED91,823,250) 10-year fund for the cause, which is in alignment with the Kingdom’s umbrella Vision 2030 goals.
Lead image Courtesy of Royal Commission of AlUla @RCU_SA via “X”.