The Arabian leopard in Oman 713
TABLE 2 Mammal species recorded during the 2021 camera-trap surveys in the Nejd region, with their IUCN Red List category and the areas in which they were recorded.
Species Arabian leopard
Caracal Caracal caracal schmitzi
African wildcat Felis lybica lybica
Striped hyaena Hyaena hyaena sultana
Arabian wolf Canis lupus arabs
Honey badger Mellivora capensis
Indian crested porcupine Hystrix indica
Arabian gazelle Gazella arabica
Rock hyrax Procavia capensis
Critically Endangered
Red List category Recorded areas West, Central
Least Concern Central
Least Concern West, Central, East
Near Threatened West, Central
Least Concern West, Central, East
Blanford’s fox Vulpes cana Least Concern Central, East Arabian red fox Vulpes vulpes arabica
Least Concern West, Central, East
Least Concern West, Central
Least Concern West, Central, East
Nubian ibex Capra nubiana Vulnerable Vulnerable
Cape hare Lepus capensis
West, Central, East
West, Central, East
Least Concern East
Least Concern West, Central, East
the conservation importance of the Arabian leopard, we recommend designating the central and western Nejd as a National Nature Reserve, to protect critical habitat. Such a designation would also benefit other charismatic fauna (e.g. the Nubian ibex Capra nubiana and Arabian gazelle Gazella arabica) and flora such as frankincense and myrrh
References AL HIKMANI,H. (2018) Leopards, camels and frankincense: the Arabian leopard of Dhofar, Oman. Cat News, Special Issue 12, 18–20.
AL HIKMANI, H., ZAABANOOT,N. & ZAABANOOT,A. (2015) Camera trapping of Arabian leopard in the Nejd region of Dhofar Mountains. Cat News, 62, 32.
AL HIKMANI, H., SPALTON, A., ZAFAR-UL ISLAM, M., AL-JOHANY, A., SULAYEM, M., AL-DUAIS,M.&ALMALKI,A. (2024a) Panthera pardus ssp. nimr (amended version of 2023 assessment). In The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2024.
dx.doi.org/10.2305/ IUCN.UK.2024-1.RLTS.T15958A259040222.en.
AL HIKMANI, H., VAN OOSTERHOUT, C., BIRLEY, T., LABISKO, G., JACKSON, H.J., SPALTON,
A.et al. (2024b) Can genetic rescue help save Arabia’s last big cat? Evolutionary Applications, 17,e13701.
AL JOHANY, A.M.H. (2007) Distribution and conservation of the Arabian leopard Panthera pardus nimr in Saudi Arabia. Journal of Arid Environments, 68, 20–30.
AL JUMAILY, M., MALLON, D.P., NASHER, A.K. & THOWABEH,N. (2006) Status report on Arabian leopard in Yemen. Cat News, Special Issue 1, 20–25.
AL KINDI, K.M., AL NADHAIRI,R.&AL AKHZAMI,S.(2023) Dynamic change in normalised vegetation index (NDVI) from 2015 to 2021 in Dhofar, Southern Oman in response to the climate change. Agriculture, 13, 592.
DUNFORD, C.E., FAURE, J.P.B., ROSS, M.D., SPALTON, J.A.,DROUILLY, M., PRYCE-FITCHEN, K.J.P. et al. (2023) Searching for spots: a comprehensive survey for Arabian leopards (Panthera pardus nimr) in Saudi Arabia. Oryx, 58, 351–362.
ISLAM, M.Z., BOUG, A., JUDAS,J.&AS-SHEHRI,A. (2018) Conservation challenges for the Arabian leopard (Panthera pardus nimr) inWestern Highlands of Arabia. Biodiversity, 19, 188–197.
FIG. 3 Cumulative probability of camera-trap detection of the Arabian leopard in the western Nejd.
JACOBSON, A.P., GERNGROSS, P., LEMERIS, J.R., SCHOONOVER, R.F., ANCO, C., BREITENMOSER-WÜRSTEN, C. et al. (2016) Leopard (Panthera pardus) status, distribution, and the research efforts across its range. PeerJ, 4,e1974.
Oryx, 2024, 58(6), 710–714 © The Author(s), 2025. Published by Cambridge University Press on behalf of Fauna & Flora International doi:10.1017/S0030605324001662
Commiphora myrrha, bothofwhich areofregionaland global interest.
Acknowledgements This research was supported by the Office for Conservation of the Environment in Oman when it was under the Diwan of Royal Court.We thank both organizations for their support, and the following former Office for Conservation of the Environment staff for their assistance with camera-trap surveys: Ali Akaak, Sadi Zabanoot, Talal Al Shahri, Khalid Mohammed Ali Al Hikmani, Nasser Zabanoot, Khalid Hardan, Ahmed Hardan, Abu Bakr Bawazir, Amer Zabanoot, Said Mabrouk Zabanoot, Ahmed Al Shahri, Ahmed Al Kathiri, Fahad Al Shaashii, Hamed Hawas, Musallam Al Amri, Mohammed Hubais, Salim Al Amri, Suhail Bait Said and Omar Al Kathiri. We thank Andrew Spalton and Jim Labisko for their valuable comments and Alaaeldin Soultan for help with the cumulative probabilities of detection analysis.
Author contributions Writing: HAH; study design, fieldwork, data analysis, editing, revision: both authors.
Conflicts of interest None.
Ethical standards This research abided by the Oryx guidelines on ethical standards.
Data availability Data are available from the authors upon reason- able request.
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