the Arabian leopard

The Arabian leopard, which once thrived in Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Yemen and Oman, is today a critically endangered species. Barely 250 such cats are now left in the peninsula. The Arabian Leopard Research Project in Oman, which was conceived by the Diwan of Royal Court almost a decade ago, has been at the forefront of conservation efforts.Biosphere Expeditions, a nonprofit-making organisation offering hands-on wildlife conservation expeditions in various parts of the world, has been involved with this project since 2006, working with scientists from the Office of the Advisor for Conservation of Environment (OACE) of the Diwan of Royal Court with the aim to see whether the endangered cat is still present in the Musandam Peninsula. Last year, Biosphere Expeditions was able to report that the Arabian leopard still survives in the Musandam area though the animal’s numbers have dwindled considerably. This year, OACE invited Biosphere Expeditions again to conduct a collaborative research in Dhofar, where a sizeable population of Arabian leopards still exists. Marcelo Mazzolli, a key member of the expedition team, mentioned that the results were stimulating.