The Leopard in the Arabian Peninsula - Foundation for the

48 Pages·2007·2.42 MB·English

ISSN 1027-2992
CAT NEWS
Special Issue No 1 2006
Status and Conservation of the Leopard on
the Arabian Peninsula
SPECIES SURVIVAL COMMISSION
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on specific topics are published in
2. The Leopard in the Arabian Peninsula - Distribution and Subspecies
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CAT News Special Issue No 1
on the Status and Conservation of the
Leopard on the Arabian Peninsula
has been produced with financial
assistance of the Breeding Centre for
Endangered Arabian Wildlife - Gov-
ernment of Sharjah
Editors: Urs & Christine
Breitenmoser
KORA, Thunstrasse 31, 3074 Muri,
Switzerland
Tel ++41(31) 951 90 20
Fax ++41(31) 951 90 40
<[email protected]>
<[email protected]>
Guest Editors: David Mallon
<[email protected]>
Jane-Ashley Edmonds
<[email protected]>
Layout: Christine Breitenmoser
ISSN 1027-2992 Cover photo: Arabian Leopard at the Breeding Centre for Endangered Arabian
Wildlife, Sharjah, UAE. Photo: Jane-Ashley Edmonds and Kevin Budd.
2 2006
Foreword
The rapid disappearance of the Arabian Leopard, along with so much of its main prey, from large areas of their former
range in the Arabian Peninsula represents a major setback for conservation of biodiversity in the region.
Full details of former status and abundance are lacking, but it can be supposed that distribution once extended over all
the mountainous parts of the Arabian Peninsula. As the reports from each range state included here indicate, the current
situation is critical. In the worst case, only three populations widely scattered across the Peninsula now survive. The actual
situation may be slightly more favourable, with other remnant populations surviving in remote areas, but these must be
small and fragmented and their long-term viability uncertain.
The Arabian leopard formed a major item on the agenda of the first Conservation Workshop for the Fauna of Arabia held
at the Breeding Centre for Endangered Arabian Wildlife in Sharjah in 2000 and it has continued to feature regularly at the
annual meetings held since then.
Over the last few years, it has been very encouraging to witness the development of a successful captive breeding pro-
gramme based here in Sharjah and with the cooperation of other facilities from around the region. The offspring produced
by the programme serve as a safeguard against the total extinction of the Arabian leopard and potentially provide stock for
releases at some point in the future.
The challenge facing all of us now is to translate this success to the leopard population in the wild. Compilation of this
report is an important initial step in this process by bringing together all that is currently known and highlighting the many
important gaps in knowledge that remain to be filled.
The task now is to formulate and, crucially, to enact, measures that will enable first the survival, and then the recovery
of the Arabian leopard. The projected range-wide Conservation Strategy and Action Plan for the Arabian leopard will
achieve the first part of this task. It will then become the responsibility of governments to ensure that resources are applied
to realise the recommended actions so that the nimr can reclaim its place as the top predator through the mountains of the
Arabian Peninsula.
Abdulaziz A. al Midfa
Director General
Environment and Protected Areas Authority
CAT News Special Issue 1 – Arabian Leopard 3
The Leopard in the Arabian Peninsula – Distribution and
Subspecies Status
James A. Spalton1 and Hadi M. Al Hikmani1
1 Office of the Adviser for Conservation of the Environment, Diwan of Royal Court, PO Box 246, Muscat 113,
Sultanate of Oman <[email protected]>
Historically it was considered that there were four subspecies of leopards in the Arabian region. Today P. p.
jarvisi no longer occurs and the ranges of P. p. tulliana and P. p. saxicolor have severely contracted north.
Only P. p. nimr, the Arabian leopard, remains. Morphological data suggests nimr to be the smallest of the
leopards and a distinct subspecies but this has yet to be conclusively confirmed by genetic evidence. Recent
records give a bleak picture of the status of P. p. nimr. A few individuals survive in the Judean Desert and
Negev Highlands while in the Arabian Peninsula leopards are known from just one location in the Repu-
blic of Yemen and one in the Sultanate of Oman. In Yemen the leopards of the Al Wada’a area are under
great pressure from killing and from capture for trade. In Oman the situation is much more hopeful and the
leopards of the Dhofar Mountains have benefited from comprehensive conservation measures. While the
possibility, however remote, of the existence of other relict populations cannot be ruled out the need for
urgent conservation action across the region is obvious given the reality that the Arabian leopard may soon
be reduced to two, or even just one population in the wild.
(cid:1010)(cid:1010)(cid:991)(cid:991)(cid:910)(cid:910)(cid:932)(cid:932)(cid:991)(cid:991)(cid:909)(cid:909) (cid:970)(cid:970)(cid:959)(cid:959)(cid:1006)(cid:1006)(cid:991)(cid:991)(cid:909)(cid:909)(cid:1005)(cid:1005) (cid:1010)(cid:1010)(cid:999)(cid:999)(cid:910)(cid:910)(cid:988)(cid:988)(cid:996)(cid:996)(cid:991)(cid:991)(cid:909)(cid:909) (cid:970)(cid:970)(cid:1011)(cid:1011)(cid:943)(cid:943)(cid:1006)(cid:1006)(cid:920)(cid:920)(cid:991)(cid:991)(cid:909)(cid:909)(cid:1005)(cid:1005) (cid:969)(cid:969)(cid:909)(cid:909)(cid:1006)(cid:1006)(cid:999)(cid:999)(cid:1015)(cid:1015)(cid:909)(cid:909) ::(cid:916)(cid:916)(cid:1012)(cid:1012)(cid:913)(cid:913)(cid:942)(cid:942)(cid:972)(cid:972)(cid:991)(cid:991)(cid:909)(cid:909) (cid:915)(cid:915)(cid:942)(cid:942)(cid:1011)(cid:1011)(cid:944)(cid:944)(cid:928)(cid:928)(cid:991)(cid:991)(cid:909)(cid:909) (cid:1002)(cid:1002)(cid:914)(cid:914)(cid:951)(cid:951) (cid:1010)(cid:1010)(cid:979)(cid:979) (cid:942)(cid:942)(cid:996)(cid:996)(cid:1000)(cid:1000)(cid:991)(cid:991)(cid:909)(cid:909)
(cid:954)(cid:954)(cid:936)(cid:936)(cid:992)(cid:992)(cid:995)(cid:995)
ﻑﻑﻭﻭﺮﺮﻈﻈﻟﻟﺍﺍ ﺕﺕﺩﺩﺃﺃﻭﻭ ڕڕﺎﺎﻫﻫﺪﺪﺣﺣﺃﺃ ﻰﻰﻔﻔﺘﺘﺧﺧﺍﺍ ﺪﺪﻘﻘﻓﻓ ﻡﻡﻮﻮﻴﻴﻟﻟﺍﺍ ﺎﺎﻣﻣﺃﺃ ..ﺔﺔﻴﻴﺑﺑﺮﺮﻌﻌﻟﻟﺍﺍ ﺔﺔﻘﻘﻄﻄﻨﻨﻤﻤﻟﻟﺍﺍ ﻲﻲﻓﻓ ﺭﺭﻮﻮﻤﻤﻨﻨﻟﻟﺍﺍ ﻦﻦﻣﻣ ﻉﻉﺍﺍﻮﻮﻧﻧﺃﺃ ﺔﺔ(cid:1127)(cid:1127)ﻌﻌﺑﺑﺭﺭﺃﺃ ﺖﺖ(cid:1127)(cid:1127)ﺷﺷﺎﺎﻋﻋ ﻲﻲ(cid:1127)(cid:1127)ﺿﺿﺎﺎﻤﻤﻟﻟﺍﺍ ﻲﻲ(cid:1127)(cid:1127)ﻓﻓ
ﺮﺮﻴﻴﺸﺸﺗﺗﻭﻭ ..ﺱﺱﻭﻭﺩﺩﺭﺭﺎﺎﺑﺑﺍﺍﺮﺮﺜﺜﻧﻧﺎﺎﺑﺑﻢﻢﺳﺳﺎﺎﺑﺑ ﺎﺎپپﻴﻴﻨﻨﻴﻴﺗﺗﻻﻻ ﻑﻑﻭﻭﺮﺮ(cid:1127)(cid:1127)ﻌﻌﻤﻤﻟﻟﺍﺍ ﻲﻲ(cid:1127)(cid:1127)ﺑﺑﺮﺮﻌﻌﻟﻟﺍﺍ ﺮﺮ(cid:1127)(cid:1127)ﻤﻤﻨﻨﻟﻟﺍﺍ ﻲﻲ(cid:1127)(cid:1127)ﻘﻘﺑﺑ ﻦﻦﻴﻴ(cid:1127)(cid:1127)ﺣﺣ ﻲﻲ(cid:1127)(cid:1127)ﻓﻓ ﻝﻝﺎﺎﻤﻤﺸﺸ(cid:1127)(cid:1127)ﻟﻟﺍﺍ ﻩﻩﺎﺎ(cid:1127)(cid:1127)ﺠﺠﺗﺗﺎﺎﺑﺑ ﻦﻦﻴﻴ(cid:1127)(cid:1127)ﻋﻋﻮﻮﻧﻧ ﺡﺡﻭﻭﺰﺰ(cid:1127)(cid:1127)ﻧﻧ ﻰﻰ(cid:1127)(cid:1127)ﻟﻟﺇﺇ
ﻦﻦﻣﻣ ﺖﺖﺒﺒﺜﺜﺘﺘﻟﻟﺍﺍ ﺎﺎپﻴﻴﻟﻟﺎﺎﺣﺣ ﻱﻱﺮﺮﺠﺠﻳﻳﻭﻭ ڕڕﺎﺎﻫﻫﺰﺰﻴﻴﻣﻣﺃﺃﻭﻭ ﺭﺭﻮﻮﻤﻤﻨﻨﻟﻟﺍﺍ ﺮﺮﻐﻐﺻﺻﺃﺃ ﻮﻮﻫﻫ ﺮﺮﻤﻤﻨﻨﻟﻟﺍﺍ ﻥﻥﺃﺃ ﻰﻰﻟﻟﺇﺇ ﻱﻱﻮﻮﻴﻴ(cid:1127)(cid:1127)ﻨﻨﺒﺒﻟﻟﺍﺍ ﻞﻞﻜﻜﺸﺸ(cid:1127)(cid:1127)ﻟﻟﺍﺍ ﻝﻝﻮﻮ(cid:1127)(cid:1127)ﺣﺣ ﺓﺓﺮﺮ(cid:1127)(cid:1127)ﻓﻓﻮﻮﺘﺘﻤﻤﻟﻟﺍﺍ ﺕﺕﺎﺎﻣﻣﻮﻮ(cid:1127)(cid:1127)ﻠﻠﻌﻌﻤﻤﻟﻟﺍﺍ
..ﻲﻲﻨﻨﻴﻴﺠﺠﻟﻟﺍﺍ ﺺﺺﺤﺤﻔﻔﻟﻟﺍﺍ ﺮﺮﺒﺒﻋﻋ ﺮﺮﻣﻣﻷﻷﺍﺍ ﺍﺍﺬﺬﻫﻫ
ﻪﻪﺒﺒ(cid:1127)(cid:1127)(cid:1127)(cid:1127)ﺷﺷ ﺔﺔﻘﻘﻄﻄﻨﻨ(cid:1127)(cid:1127)(cid:1127)(cid:1127)ﻣﻣ ﻲﻲ(cid:1127)(cid:1127)(cid:1127)(cid:1127)ﻓﻓ ﻲﻲ(cid:1127)(cid:1127)(cid:1127)(cid:1127)ﺑﺑﺮﺮﻌﻌﻟﻟﺍﺍ ﺮﺮ(cid:1127)(cid:1127)(cid:1127)(cid:1127)ﻤﻤﻨﻨﻟﻟﺍﺍ ﻊﻊ(cid:1127)(cid:1127)(cid:1127)(cid:1127)ﺿﺿﻭﻭ ﻝﻝﻮﻮ(cid:1127)(cid:1127)(cid:1127)(cid:1127)ﺣﺣ ﺔﺔﺤﺤ(cid:1127)(cid:1127)(cid:1127)(cid:1127)ﺿﺿﺍﺍﻭﻭ ﺓﺓﺭﺭﻮﻮ(cid:1127)(cid:1127)(cid:1127)(cid:1127)ﺻﺻ ﺓﺓﺮﺮ(cid:1127)(cid:1127)(cid:1127)(cid:1127)ﻴﻴﺧﺧﻷﻷﺍﺍ ﺔﺔ(cid:1127)(cid:1127)(cid:1127)(cid:1127)ﻧﻧﻭﻭﻵﻵﺍﺍ ﻲﻲ(cid:1127)(cid:1127)(cid:1127)(cid:1127)ﻓﻓ ﺓﺓﺭﺭﻮﻮﺸﺸ(cid:1127)(cid:1127)(cid:1127)(cid:1127)ﻨﻨﻤﻤﻟﻟﺍﺍ ﺕﺕﻼﻼﺠﺠﺴﺴ(cid:1127)(cid:1127)(cid:1127)(cid:1127)ﻟﻟﺍﺍ ﺖﺖﻣﻣﺪﺪ(cid:1127)(cid:1127)(cid:1127)(cid:1127)ﻗﻗ
ﻲﻲ(cid:1127)(cid:1127)(cid:1127)(cid:1127)ﻓﻓﻭﻭڕڕﻝﻝﺎﺎﻤﻤﺸﺸ(cid:1127)(cid:1127)(cid:1127)(cid:1127)ﻟﻟﺍﺍ ﻰﻰ(cid:1127)(cid:1127)(cid:1127)(cid:1127)ﻟﻟﺇﺇ ﺔﺔﻌﻌﻗﻗﺍﺍﻮﻮ(cid:1127)(cid:1127)(cid:1127)(cid:1127)ﻟﻟﺍﺍ ﻒﻒﺠﺠﻨﻨ(cid:1127)(cid:1127)(cid:1127)(cid:1127)ﻟﻟﺍﺍََﺍﺍﺮﺮﺤﺤ(cid:1127)(cid:1127)(cid:1127)(cid:1127)ﺻﺻﻲﻲ(cid:1127)(cid:1127)(cid:1127)(cid:1127)ﻓﻓﺭﺭﻮﻮﻤﻤﻨﻨ(cid:1127)(cid:1127)(cid:1127)(cid:1127)ﻟﻟﺍﺍ ﻦﻦ(cid:1127)(cid:1127)(cid:1127)(cid:1127)ﻣﻣﺮﺮﻴﻴﻐﻐ(cid:1127)(cid:1127)(cid:1127)(cid:1127)ﺻﺻﺩﺩﺍﺍﺪﺪ(cid:1127)(cid:1127)(cid:1127)(cid:1127)ﻌﻌﺗﺗ ﺩﺩﻮﻮ(cid:1127)(cid:1127)(cid:1127)(cid:1127)ﺟﺟﻭﻭ ﺢﺢﻀﻀ(cid:1127)(cid:1127)(cid:1127)(cid:1127)ﺗﺗﺍﺍ ﺚﺚﻴﻴ(cid:1127)(cid:1127)(cid:1127)(cid:1127)ﺣﺣ ﺔﺔﻴﻴﺑﺑﺮﺮ(cid:1127)(cid:1127)(cid:1127)(cid:1127)ﻌﻌﻟﻟﺍﺍ ﺓﺓﺮﺮ(cid:1127)(cid:1127)(cid:1127)(cid:1127)ﻳﻳﺰﺰﺠﺠﻟﻟﺍﺍ
ﺔﺔﻘﻘﻄﻄﻨﻨﻣﻣ ﻲﻲﻓﻓﺭﺭﻮﻮﻤﻤﻨﻨﻟﻟﺍﺍ ﺶﺶﻴﻴ(cid:1127)(cid:1127)ﻌﻌﺗﺗﻦﻦﻤﻤﻴﻴ(cid:1127)(cid:1127)ﻟﻟﺍﺍﻲﻲ(cid:1127)(cid:1127)ﻔﻔﻓﻓ ..ﻥﻥﺎﺎ(cid:1127)(cid:1127)ﻤﻤﻋڂﻋﺔﺔﻨﻨﻄﻄﻠﻠ(cid:1127)(cid:1127)ﺳﺳﻭﻭﺔﺔﻴﻴ(cid:1127)(cid:1127)ﻨﻨﻤﻤﻴﻴﻟﻟﺍﺍ ﺔﺔﻳﻳﺭﺭﻮﻮ(cid:1127)(cid:1127)ﻬﻬﻤﻤﺠﺠﻟﻟﺍﺍ ﻦﻦ(cid:1127)(cid:1127)ﻣﻣ ﻞﻞ(cid:1127)(cid:1127)ﻛﻛ ﻲﻲ(cid:1127)(cid:1127)ﻓﻓ ﺔﺔﻴﻴﺑﺑﺮﺮ(cid:1127)(cid:1127)ﻌﻌﻟﻟﺍﺍ ﺭﺭﻮﻮﻤﻤﻨﻨ(cid:1127)(cid:1127)ﻟﻟﺍﺍ ﺪﺪﺟﺟﻮﻮ(cid:1127)(cid:1127)ﺗﺗ ﺏﺏﻮﻮﻨﻨ(cid:1127)(cid:1127)ﺠﺠﻟﻟﺍﺍ
ﺎﺎپﻗﻗﺍﺍﺮﺮﺷﺷﺇﺇ ﺮﺮﺜﺜﻛﻛﺃﺃ ﻊﻊﺿﺿﻮﻮﻟﻟﺍﺍ ﻭﻭﺪﺪﺒﺒﻴﻴﻓﻓ ﻥﻥﺎﺎﻤﻤﻋڂﻋ ﺔﺔﻨﻨﻄﻄﻠﻠﺳﺳﻲﻲﻓﻓ ﺎﺎﻣﻣﺃﺃ ..ﺓﺓﺮﺮﺟﺟﺎﺎﺘﺘﻤﻤﻠﻠﻟﻟ ﺎﺎﻬﻬﺑﺑ ﻙﻙﺎﺎﺴﺴ(cid:1127)(cid:1127)ﻣﻣﻹﻹﺍﺍﻭﻭ ﻞﻞﺘﺘ(cid:1127)(cid:1127)ﻘﻘﻟﻟﺎﺎﻛﻛ ﺔﺔﻴﻴ(cid:1127)(cid:1127)ﻘﻘﻴﻴﻘﻘﺣﺣ ﺕﺕﺍﺍﺪﺪ(cid:1127)(cid:1127)ﻳﻳﺪﺪﻬﻬﺗﺗ ﺎﺎﻬﻬ(cid:1127)(cid:1127)ﺿﺿﺮﺮﻌﻌﺘﺘﺗﺗﻭﻭ ﺔﺔﻋﻋﺩﺩﻮﻮ(cid:1127)(cid:1127)ﻟﻟﺍﺍ
..ﺔﺔﻠﻠﻣﻣﺎﺎﺸﺸﻟﻟﺍﺍﻥﻥﻮﻮﺼﺼﻟﻟﺍﺍﺮﺮﻴﻴﺑﺑﺍﺍﺪﺪﺗﺗ ﻦﻦﻣﻣﺭﺭﺎﺎﻔﻔﻇﻇ ﻝﻝﺎﺎﺒﺒﺟﺟﻦﻦﻃﻃﻮﻮﺘﺘﺴﺴﺗﺗﻲﻲﺘﺘﻟﻟﺍﺍﺭﺭﻮﻮﻤﻤﻨﻨﻟﻟﺍﺍ ﺕﺕﺩﺩﺎﺎﻔﻔﺘﺘﺳﺳﺍﺍ ﺚﺚﻴﻴﺣﺣ
ﻦﻦ(cid:1127)(cid:1127)(cid:1127)(cid:1127)ﻜﻜﻤﻤﻳﻳﻻﻻﺮﺮ(cid:1127)(cid:1127)ﻣﻣﻷﻷﺍﺍ ﺍﺍﺬﺬ(cid:1127)(cid:1127)ﻫﻫﻥﻥﺃﺃﻻﻻﺇﺇ ﺔﺔﻘﻘﻄﻄﻨﻨ(cid:1127)(cid:1127)(cid:1127)(cid:1127)ﻤﻤﻟﻟﺍﺍ ﻲﻲ(cid:1127)(cid:1127)ﻓﻓﺔﺔﻴﻴﺑﺑﺮﺮ(cid:1127)(cid:1127)ﻌﻌﻟﻟﺍﺍﺭﺭﻮﻮﻤﻤﻨﻨ(cid:1127)(cid:1127)(cid:1127)(cid:1127)ﻟﻟﺍﺍ ﻦﻦ(cid:1127)(cid:1127)ﻣﻣﻯﻯﺮﺮ(cid:1127)(cid:1127)ﺧﺧﺃﺃﺓﺓﺪﺪﻴﻴ(cid:1127)(cid:1127)(cid:1127)(cid:1127)ﺟﺟﺕﺕﺍﺍﺩﺩﺍﺍﺪﺪ(cid:1127)(cid:1127)ﻌﻌﺗﺗﺩﺩﻮﻮ(cid:1127)(cid:1127)ﺟﺟﻭﻭﺔﺔﻴﻴ(cid:1127)(cid:1127)(cid:1127)(cid:1127)ﻧﻧﺎﺎﻜﻜﻣﻣﺇﺇﺔﺔﻟﻟﺂﺂ(cid:1127)(cid:1127)ﺿﺿﻦﻦ(cid:1127)(cid:1127)ﻣﻣﻢﻢﻏﻏﺮﺮ(cid:1127)(cid:1127)ﻟﻟﺎﺎﺑﺑ
ﻰﻰﻟﻟﺇﺇ ﺎﺎﻧﻧﺮﺮﻈﻈﻧﻧ ﺎﺎﻣﻣ ﺍﺍﺫﺫﺇﺇ ﺎﺎپﺻﺻﻮﻮﺼﺼﺧﺧﻭﻭ ﺭﺭﺩﺩﺎﺎﻨﻨﻟﻟﺍﺍ ﻉﻉﻮﻮﻨﻨﻟﻟﺍﺍ ﺍﺍﺬﺬﻫﻫﻰﻰﻠﻠﻋﻋ ﻅﻅﺎﺎﻔﻔﺤﺤﻠﻠﻟﻟ ﺔﺔﻠﻠﺟﺟﺎﺎﻋﻋ ﺕﺕﺍﺍََﺍﺍﺮﺮﺟﺟﺇﺇ ﺫﺫﺎﺎﺨﺨﺗﺗﻻﻻ ﺔﺔﺟﺟﺎﺎﺤﺤﻟﻟﺍﺍ ﺯﺯﺮﺮ(cid:1127)(cid:1127)ﺒﺒﺗﺗ ﺎﺎﻨﻨ(cid:1127)(cid:1127)ﻫﻫ ﻦﻦ(cid:1127)(cid:1127)ﻣﻣﻭﻭ ..ﻩﻩﺩﺩﺎﺎﻌﻌﺒﺒﺘﺘ(cid:1127)(cid:1127)ﺳﺳﺍﺍ
..ﺪﺪﺣﺣﺍﺍﻭﻭﻰﻰﺘﺘﺣﺣﻭﻭﺃﺃﻦﻦﻴﻴﻨﻨﺛﺛﺍﺍﻰﻰﻟﻟﺇﺇﺎﺎﺒﺒﻳﻳﺮﺮﻗﻗﺺﺺﻗﻗﺎﺎﻨﻨﺘﺘﺗﺗ ﺪﺪﻗﻗﻱﻱﺭﺭﺍﺍﺮﺮﺒﺒﻟﻟﺍﺍ ﻲﻲﻓﻓﺔﺔﻴﻴﺑﺑﺮﺮﻌﻌﻟﻟﺍﺍ ﺭﺭﻮﻮﻤﻤﻨﻨﻟﻟﺍﺍ ﺕﺕﺍﺍﺩﺩﺍﺍﺪﺪﻌﻌﺗﺗ ﻥﻥﺃﺃﺔﺔﻘﻘﻴﻴﻘﻘﺣﺣ
Introduction
The leopard Panthera pardus once oc- Hemprich & Ehrenberg (1833) first to shed light on the historical distributi-
curred throughout much of Arabia (Har- described Felis nimr, based on an Abys- on and current occurrence of Panthera
rison & Bates 1991). However, over the sinian skin and partly on an Arabian pardus in the region and attempt to cla-
past 100 years it has become increasin- one. By the middle of the 20th century it rify the “subspecies” issue.
gly threatened as a result of the deple- was generally considered that there was
tion of its prey base, killing by hunters evidence for four subspecies in Arabia; Distribution
and shepherds and vulnerability of ever P. p. jarvisi in Sinai to the west, P. p. Panthera pardus jarvisi
decreasing population size. The leopard saxicolor in Iraq to the north, P. p. tul- Pocock (in Harrison 1968) in 1932 de-
is globally red listed as Least Concern, liana from Syria south to the Dead Sea scribed P. p. jarvisi from Sinai although
but P. p. nimr is classified as Critically in the Levant with P. p. nimr extending the exact locality and origin of the spec-
Endangered (IUCN 2004) and is listed over most of the region from the Jordan imen is not known. Harrison (1968)
on Appendix I of the Convention on valley south and east to Oman and Ye- considered that the range of P. p. jarvisi
International Trade in Endangered Spe- men (Harrison 1968). In this paper we extended south through the Hejaz of
cies (CITES). use published work and some new data Saudi Arabia but later Harrison & Bates
4 2006
(1991) described P. p. jarvisi as occur- to Lebanon where it is believed that the Biquand (1990) reported on a survey
ring only in Sinai and ‘is probably little last specimen, an old male, was killed of the Asir concluding that they were
more than the local variant of nimr’. in 1965 (Mendelssohn 1990). Harrison probably present although they made no
Osborn & Helmy (1980) report a & Bates (1991) cite reports that this sightings. In a subsequent paper Nader
single specimen examined from Sinai subspecies is clearly flourishing further (1996) reported a small population still
but of unknown locality and list numer- south in the Judean Hills (Ilani 1988) in the Hijaz and one also in the Asir, al-
ous published records and reports for the and that it occurs in the West Bank (Il- though no evidence was presented. Judas
peninsula from 1872 to the early 1950s. ani 1986) although Ilani (1990) believes et al. (2006) report just four confirmed
Substantiated reports from recent years the subspecies of the Judean Desert to records since 1999 although three were
are lacking. In 1995, Saleh et al. (1995) be P. p. nimr. based on evidence of tracks and live-
who surveyed Ras Mohammed, Nabaq stock killing and only in the fourth case,
and Abu Gallum protected areas, report- Panthera pardus saxicolor near the Yemen border, were remains of
ed tracks in Wadi El Omiyed and also The type locality for this subspecies two leopards photographed in 1999. A
reported that in May 1995 an adult leop- is Asterabad in southern Iran where it recent paper by Al-Johany (2007) based
ard was caught in a leg-hold trap near was described in 1927. Its range is con- on a survey from 1998 to 2001 conclud-
the western boundary of Abu Gallum. sidered to extend east to Afghanistan ed that the number of leopards in Saudi
In 1997 Prof. Ibrahim Helmy sighted and Turkmenistan (Nowell & Jack- Arabia was greater than widely believed
a leopard near Abu Durba. In Decem- son 1996) and west to Turkey (Borner and included 65 sightings by local in-
ber 1997 there was a report of a leopard 1977). There is little evidence of this formants. However, none of the records
being sighted in Wadi Eltala and later subspecies in the Arabian Peninsula re- or sightings was substantiated by photo-
the same month in Wadi Elgars, being gion, the most southern records coming graphic or other evidence and since that
a branch of Wadi Eltala (Ibrahim 1998). from a low lying area at Rawa on the time field surveys and camera trapping
A camera-trapping programme and Euphrates and yet further south on the programs have failed to confirm the
survey started in 1999 (Spalton 1999) floodplain of the Tigris at Kut al Imara continuing presence of leopards.
has found no evidence of leopards in in Iraq (Harrison 1968). A number of leopards were captured
St. Katherine Protectorate or elsewhere in the wild between 1997 and 2003 and
in Sinai (Hussam El Alqamy, personal Panthera pardus nimr subsequently acquired by the National
communication February 2006). As Harrison (1968) accounts, Hemrich Wildlife Research Centre (NWRC), Taif
Nowell & Jackson (1996) recorded and Ehrenberg’s (1833) Felis nimr was and other private collections. However,
P. p. jarvisi as being in Sinai and extend- based principally on an Arabian skin Judas et al. (2006) suggest that all, with
ing east to the Judean desert. However, from the ‘mountains in the vicinity of the possible exception of a young male
Ilani (1990) who radio-tracked leopards Qunfida, Asir, Saudi Arabia’ and Pocock in 1997, were captured in Yemen.
in the late 1970s and early 1980s report- (1932), nearly 100 years later, proposed In conclusion, irrefutable evidence
ed that the leopards of the Judean desert that this form might occur on both sides that leopards still occur in the Kingdom
and Negev Highlands were neither P. p. of the Red Sea. However, Harrison, is lacking. The last substantiated record
jarvisi or P. p. tulliana but resembled who had access to additional informa- appears to have been the two animals
closest P. p. nimr. Shoemaker (1997) tion, did not agree and considered the S. found dead in 1999 near the Yemen bor-
states that surveys conducted in Decem- Arabian leopard, Panthera pardus nimr, der.
ber 1992 produced a maximum esti- as distinct and that any extension across
mate of 8-10 leopards. Recent estimates the Red Sea was doubtful. Republic of Yemen
based on molecular scatology are of a Sanborn & Hoogstraal (1953) reported
minimum of a male and two females in Kingdom of Saudi Arabia that the species was scarce but wide-
the Judean Desert and four males and Harrison (1968) reported specimens spread while Harrison (1968) reports
one female in the Negev Highlands (Pe- only from the Asir mountains (where the on several specimens of leopard from
rez et al. 2006). type specimen was obtained) that run the mountains around Aden and Bei-
southeast towards Yemen. He consid- han. Obadi (1993) reports the killing of
Panthera pardus tulliana ered specimens from the Hajaz (to the leopard during the late 1970s and early
There are numerous reports of this sub- north-west) to be P. p. jarvisi. However, 1980s in the area of Lodar northeast of
species in Syria, Palestine and Jordan later Harrison & Bates (1991) referred Aden.
in the late 19th and early 20th centuries to just one subspecies, P. p. nimr, for the Al Jumaily et al. (2006) provide de-
(Harrison 1968). In Jordan records come leopards of the Hajaz and the Asir. tails of post-1990 records for five broad
from north of Aqaba, south of Petra and In 1982 a live-leopard was seen in clusters from areas in the north close
Wadi Zarqa Ma’en (Hardy 1947) and the Wadi Hiswa in the Asir (Gasperetti et to the Saudi border to the south in the
most recent report was in 1987 (Qumsi- al. 1985), while Nader (1989) reported Mahra Governorate and close to the
yeh et al. 1993). In Nowell & Jackson on killings of leopards and the collec- Oman border. However, most capture
(1996) P. p. tulliana is considered as the tion of leopard remains in the 1970s records are from the area of Al Wada’a
Anatolian leopard and only occurring in and 1980s and concluded that if they about 120 km north of the capital where
western Turkey. Harrison (1968) reports remain in the Kingdom they would be Lagrot & Lagrot (1999) also reported
this subspecies in the Galilee area close in the Asir mountains. One year later signs of leopard as well as captures. A
CAT News Special Issue 1 – Arabian Leopard 5
from Masafi joined the collection at the
Breeding Centre for Endangered Ara-
bian Wildlife, Sharjah but has not par-
ticipated in the breeding programme. A
survey in 1995 found tracks of leopards
at one site and stated that there may be
20 ‘or far less’ adults in the mountains
(Stuart & Stuart 1995).
A survey in the Emirate of Ras al-
Khaimah in 1999 and 2000 found some
signs of leopard but were not confirmed
by camera-traps deployed at the same
time (Llewellyn-Smith 2002). There is
a report of a leopard being killed on the
UAE side of the Musandam Peninsula
in February 2001 (EPAA 2003) but pho-
tographs or carcass remains seem to be
unavailable.
Figure 1 shows the confirmed, prob-
able, possible and historical range of P.
p. nimr.
Fig. 1. Former and current (since 1990) distribution information for the leopard on the Arabian
Morphological and Molecular Ge-
Peninsula. Confirmed records: Confident evidence or hard facts, such as dead specimens (with
netic Variation
body, skin, etc. available), photo-trap pictures, and genetic analyses (e.g. from scats). Probable
Miththapala et al (1996), using molecu-
records: All records confirmed by any evidence or by a trained person. Possible or unconfirmed
records: All not confirmed or not confirmable reports. This includes especially hearsay and lar genetic analysis, grouped seven puta-
direct observations. tive central Asian subspecies including
P. p. nimr, P. p. jarvisi, P. p. tulliana and
spate of live-captures seems to have in 1976 what is believed to be the last P. p. saxicolor together as the revised
commenced in the early 1990s when a leopard was found killed. Specimens subspecies P. p. saxicolor. However,
young female was killed in a leopard were recovered from the Musandam their analysis included material from
trap and her male offspring taken into peninsula during a spate of killing in only two of the seven subspecies: P. p.
captivity in Sana’a from where it was the early 1980s and the last confirmed sindica (Baluchistan leopard) and P. p.
sold to the Breeding Centre for Endan- report is of two animals killed in 1997 saxicolor and the latter were represent-
gered Arabian Wildlife, Sharjah in 1995 (Spalton et al. 2006b). ed entirely by a zoo-bred population.
(Jongbloed 2001). In subsequent years Camera-trap studies have confirmed This assessment was revisited by
at least 10 wild caught leopards entered the continuing presence of leopard in Uphyrkina et al. (2001) who used new
zoos in Sana’a or Ta’iz (Budd 2003) and Jabal Samhan, Dhofar (Spalton & Wil- genetic methods and additional sam-
at least nine were reported to have come lis 1999) where over 200 photographs ples. They had no material from P. p.
from the Al Wada’a area (EPAA 2000). of 17 leopards were obtained during the jarvisi or P. p. tulliana and had one sam-
Further animals were moved to the years 1997-2000 (Spalton et al. 2006a). ple for P. p. nimr and three new sam-
Breeding Centre for Endangered Ara- Ongoing camera-trapping has also con- ples for P. p. saxicolor that had not been
bian Wildlife, Sharjah and in 2002 an firmed the presence of 9-11 leopards in used by Miththapala et al (1996). Their
animal was wild caught and presumably Jabals Qara and Qamar that run west work confirmed the proposed subspe-
sold to the Al Wathba Cheetah Breeding from Samhan to the Oman-Yemen bor- cies of P. p. saxicolor but tentatively
Centre, Abu Dhabi (Budd 2003). der. A number of these leopards were considered P. p. nimr as a subspecies
fitted with GPS satellite collars and writing that ‘populations of P. p. nimr
Sultanate of Oman tracked in 2001-2005 (Spalton et al. appear to have been isolated for quite a
In the Dhofar Mountains of southern 2006b). long time, accumulating multiple diag-
Oman, leopards were known from the
nostic sites that distinguish it from any
monsoon woodlands of Jabal Qara United Arab Emirates other subspecies’. The single sample of
(Thomas 1932) and a specimen was Harrison (1971) reports the presence of P. p. nimr was obtained from Tel Aviv
collected from Jabal Samhan (Harrison leopard from the mountains of the north- University but originated from some-
1968). It was from Jabal Samhan that ern Emirates that border Musandam where in south Arabia.
leopards were captured in 1985 to es- in Oman. In 1986 at least one leopard A study conducted at the Breeding
tablish the first captive breeding group was killed in the same mountains and Centre for Endangered Wildlife, Shar-
(Usher Smith 1985). In northern Oman in 1991 a male was caught alive near jah (J. Williamson, pers. comm.) looked
a single skin was obtained from the Masafi while in 1992 one was shot in at possible differences between leopard
Al Hajar range (Harrison 1968) where Wadi Bih (Jongbloed 2001). The male from northern Arabia (UAE & northern
6 2006
Table 1. Specimens of Panthera pardus from the region
Location Year Subspecies Alive/ Sex Weight (kg) Overall length Length of Reference
dead (mm) tail (mm)
Jordan 1911 tulliana Dead F 2060 750 Harrison 1968
Judean desert 1979 nimr Alive M 29.5 1990 820 Ilani 1980
Judean desert 1979 nimr Alive F 23.5 1920 790 Ilani 1980
Judean desert 1979 nimr Alive F 22.0 1684 754 Ilani 1980
Iran saxicolor Dead 86.0 2130 - Kiabi et al. 2002
Iran saxicolor Dead 66.0 2120 - Kiabi et al. 2002
Iran saxicolor Dead 2040 - Kiabi et al. 2002
Iran saxicolor Dead 1750 - Kiabi et al. 2002
Iran saxicolor Dead 2000 - Kiabi et al. 2002
Iraq 1951 saxicolor Dead M 2591 940 Harrison 1968
Iraq - saxicolor Dead - 2261 914 Harrison 1968
Oman 1947 nimr Dead - 1965 787 Harrison 1968
Oman - nimr Dead - 2007 813 Harrison 1968
Oman 2001 nimr Alive F 18.0 1600 670 OACE unpublished data
Oman 2001 nimr Alive M 26.0 1570# 540 OACE unpublished data
Oman 2001 nimr Alive M 34.0 2030 850 OACE unpublished data
Oman 2001 nimr Alive M 24.0 1820 770 OACE unpublished data
Oman 2003 nimr Alive M 18.0* - - OACE unpublished data
Oman 2003 nimr Alive F 19.0 - - OACE unpublished data
Saudi Arabia 1955 nimr Dead F 1778 737 Harrison 1968
Saudi Arabia 1963 nimr Dead - 1676 660 Harrison 1968
Saudi Arabia - nimr Dead - 1600 660 Harrison 1968
Sinai 1900 jarvisi Dead - 2108 737 Harrison 1968
* sub-adult; # tail damaged; OACE: Office of the Adviser for Conservation of the Environment, Oman
Oman) and southern Arabia. These areas this difference was significant for saxi- region. However, for the other subspe-
are both mountainous but are separated color and nimr (P = 0.004, df = 17). cies genetic studies have not come close
by open desert and gravel plains where Body length of nimr did not vary sig- to resolving the subspecies debate. The
the movement of animals between the nificantly between those of the Judean proposal by Miththapala (1996) to lump
populations may not have occurred or at desert, Saudi Arabia and Oman. the other species of the region has little
best been very rare. The study used both scientific base since it did not include
mitochondrial DNA and nuclear DNA Discussion any material from populations of P. p.
techniques but found no evidence to It seems that once three subspecies of nimr, P. p. jarvisi or P. p. tulliana. Simi-
support species differentiation between leopard occurred in the region. P. p nimr larly Uphyrkina et al’s (2001) tentative
northern and southern leopards. How- is the principal leopard of the region and suggestion of nimr as a subspecies has
ever, sample sizes of northern leopards of the Arabian Peninsula in particular. little credibility as it was based on a sin-
were small (mitochondrial DNA n=3, P. p. saxicolor is a species of central gle sample.
nuclear DNA n=2). Other studies car- Asia whose range extended south to Further genetic studies may help
ried out by the King Khaled Wildlife southern Iraq and Jordan. P. p. tulliana resolve subspecies issues. However,
Research Center, Saudi Arabia have occurred from Turkey through Syria to while we await such studies we should
been inconclusive (Judas et al. 2006) Lebanon. P. p. jarvisi probably never consider the likely reality that P. p. nimr
and a study in Oman has just com- occurred but was actually P. p. nimr. is the only surviving subspecies in the
menced (Al Ansari et al. 2005). Today P. p. saxicolor and P. p. tulliana region and that it does not occur else-
Morphological data is generally seem no longer to occur in the region as where. In the Negev Highlands and Ju-
lacking but based on measurements for their ranges have contracted north. dean Desert numbers are very small and
overall length and some weight data Genetic studies seem to have estab- in the Arabian Peninsula it is restricted
and including specimens from Iran (Ta- lished that P. p. saxicolor is distinct to Yemen and Oman. In Yemen leopards
ble 1), P. p. saxicolor seems to be larger from other subspecies. This is sup- face severe persecution in the wild and
and heavier than the other three subspe- ported by morphological data that sug- in the last 10 years many have entered
cies. While sample sizes for jarvisi (n gests this principally Asian subspecies captive collections in the country and
= 1) and tulliana (n = 1) are very small is larger than other subspecies from the elsewhere in the region. However, there
CAT News Special Issue 1 – Arabian Leopard 7
still remains an opportunity for in situ mals of Arabia. 2nd Edition. Harrison temporary land mammals of Egypt (in-
conservation. In Oman the situation is Zoological Museum Publication, Sev- cluding Sinai). Fieldiana Zool. 5, 1-579.
more encouraging with ongoing conser- enoaks. Perez I., Geffen E. and Mokady O. 2006.
vation programmes but the total number Hemprich F.W. and Ehrenberg, C.G. 1828- Critically Endangered Arabian leopards
1833. Symbolae physicae seu icones et Panthera pardus nimr in Israel: estimat-
in the wild is likely to be less than 200.
descriptiones mammalium, 1 and 2. Ber- ing population parameters using molecu-
Whatever further evidence emerges
lin. lar scatology. Oryx 40, 295-301.
as to the distribution and subspecies sta-
Ibrahim R.W. 1998. The Sinai Leopard is Pocock R. I. 1932. “The African Leopard”,
tus of the leopard in the region the real-
alive out there. St. Katherine Protector- pp. 543-595, Plates I-IV, Proceedings of
ity is that the Arabian leopard or ‘nimr’ ate Internal Document. the scientific Meetings of the Zoological
in Arabic has largely gone from the re- Ilani G. 1980. The leopards of the Judean Society of London for 1932. London.
gion and if it is to survive in the wild it desert. Israel Land and Nature 6, 59-71. Qumsiyeh M. B., Amr Z. S. and Shafei
will most likely be in the mountains of Ilani G. 1986. More Cats. Israel Land and D. M. 1993. Status and conservation of
southern Arabia, and in particular in the Nature 12, 38. carnivores in Jordan. Mammalia 57, 55-
Ilani G. 1988. Continuing the saga of the 62.
Dhofar Mountains of Oman.
Judean Desert Leopards. Israel Land and Saleh M. A., Salim M. I. B. and Bedare
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Studbook. Breeding Centre for Endan- recognition in leopards (Panthera par- dus nimr persist in the Jabal Samhan Na-
gered Arabian Wildlife, Sharjah. dus): molecular genetic variation. Con- ture Reserve, Oman. Oryx 40, 287-294.
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Endangered Arabian Wildlife, Sharjah. Wildl. Res. 1, 210-214. bian Leopard Panthera pardus nimr in
EPAA 2003. CAMP for the Fauna of Arabia, Nader I. 1989. Rare and endangered mam- the Sultanate of Oman. Cat News Special
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Hardy E. 1947. The Palestine leopard. Soc. pp. 220-233. Riyadh. Miquelle D., Marker L., Bush M. and
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Arabia. Vol. 2. Carnivora, Artiodactyla, Mammals.] Vol. 1. Obadi Publication lah leopard expeditions between January
Hyracoidea. Ernest Benn Ltd., London. Centre. (In Arabic) 16th and May 5th 1985. Report to the
Harrison D. L. and Bates P. J. J. 1991. Mam- Osborn D. J. and Helmy I. 1980. The con- Government of Oman.
8 2006
The Leopard in Jordan
Mayas Qarqaz1 and Mohammed Abu Baker2
1 The Royal Society for the Conservation of Nature. P.O. Box 1215 Amman 11941 Jordan. Current address: Environment
Agency-Abu Dhabi. P.O. Box 45553, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
2 Department of Biology, Jordan University of Science & Technology. P.O. Box 3030, Irbid, 22110 Jordan
Leopards have been reported from several localities in Jordan. The last confirmed report dates from 1987.
There have been occasional unconfirmed reports since. Recent field surveys have failed to find signs of
leopard presence.
ﻡﺎ(cid:1127)ﻋﻚ(cid:1127)ﻟﺫﻥﺄ(cid:1127)ﺷﻲ(cid:1127)ﻓﺮ(cid:1127)ﻳﺮﻘﺗﺮ(cid:1127)ﺧﺁﺩﺍﺪﻋﺇﻢﺗﻭڕﻥﺩﺭﻷﺍﻲﻓﻲﺑﺮﻌﻟﺍﺮﻤﻨﻟﺍﺓﺪﻫﺎﺸﻣﻰﻟﺇﺮﻴﺸﺗﻲﺘﻟﺍﺮﻳﺭﺎﻘﺘﻟﺍﻦﻣﺪﻳﺪﻌﻟﺍﻙﺎﻨﻫ
.ﻥﺩﺭﻷﺍﻲﻓﻲﺑﺮﻌﻟﺍﺮﻤﻨﻟﺍﺩﻮﺟﻭﺪﻛﺆﺗﺕﺍﺮﺷﺆﻣﺔﻳﺃﺩﺎﺠﻳﺇﻲﻓﺍﺮﺧﺆﻣﻪﺑﻡﺎﻴﻘﻟﺍﻢﺗﻲﻧﺍﺪﻴﻣﺢﺴﻣﺮﺧﺁﻞﺸﻓﺪﻗﻭڕ1987
Distribution
Leopards were reported as more com-
mon than the cheetah by Tristram
(1866, 1888) in many areas of Jordan
Syria
and Palestine. Ernst Schmitz recorded
five leopards shot near Jerusalem in the
first decade of the 20th century (Hardy
1947). Aharoni (1930) reported a leop-
ard killed between Ramallah and Em-
maus. Another animal was killed on
the Palestinian-Lebanese frontier and Amman
a cub was secured near Safad, west of
Lake Galilee (Hardy 1947, Qumsiyeh
1996, Qumsiyeh et al. 1993). Hardy
(1947) stated that leopards still inhab-
ited the wadi south of Petra and Wadi
Zarqa Ma’en as well as an individual Kingdom
Kingdom
shot at Ain Ghidyan, north of Aqaba. of Jordan
of Saudi Arabia
Harrison (1968) reported a specimen
shot west of Ma’an. Lehmann (1965)
reported several observations west of
the Dead Sea. A leopard was killed
by a Bedouin in Wadi Darajah, in the
Fig. 1. Former distribution of leopard in Jordan. Presumed former range (green), 1987 record
desert east of the Dead Sea in Octo-
(yellow dot) and historical records (blue dots).
ber 1965 (Blake 1966). Clarke (1977)
listed the following localities as previ-
ous reports of the leopard from Jordan;
Petra, Wadi Zarqa Ma’en, Ain el Taba, Leopards became rare after the turn have become rare, especially in the
Ain Buweirdeh, and Ma’an. The lat- of the twentieth century and by the sec- second half of the 20th century.
est report of the leopard came from an ond half of the century it was almost
observation in the Tafilah area where it extinct from Jordan. Major causes of Habitat
attacked and killed sheep during Feb- extinction are habitat loss, hunting and Three protected areas totaling 1,300
ruary 1987 (Amr & Disi 1988, Qumsi- reduced prey availability. Habitat loss km2 (Wadi Rum, Dana, and Wadi Mu-
yeh et al. 1993). Figure 1 shows these is mainly due to the rapid increase in jib) are sited along the historical range
localities. Sporadic local reports have the human population and develop- of the leopard, and a fourth is pro-
been received since then, possibly re- ment projects associated with this posed.
ferring to vagrants, but remain uncon- growth. Hunting has been a feature for
firmed. A field visit by the authors in millennia for sport and out of fear for Prey
2005 with local rangers failed to find man and his domestic animals. Most Nubian ibex Capra nubiana occur
any signs of leopard presence. large-size prey items for the leopard in Wadi Mujib Wildlife Reserve and
CAT News Special Issue 1 – Arabian Leopard 9
Wadi Rum Protected Area. Mountain
gazelle Gazella gazella is now consid-
ered extinct in Jordan. Historical range
of the species is along the western
mountain range bordering the Rift Val-
ley. A small number of dorcas gazelles
Gazella dorcas occur in Wadi Araba
and Wadi Rum Desert in the south of
the country. Other possible prey items
inhabiting the same historical range of
the leopard include rock hyrax Pro-
cavia capensis, and Cape hare Lepus
capensis.
Legal Status
Leopards are protected by law. Ibex
and all gazelle species are also strictly
protected.
Conflicts and Public Awareness
Leopards were hunted for different
Fig. 2. A leopard trap (called margabah by the local population) Eastern Desert – Jordan
reasons. According to interviews with (Photo M. Qarqaz).
local people who live in areas where
leopards used to exist, the main reason have been rumours of leopards cross- man.
for hunting was related to the social ing the borders from the Saudi side and Hardy E. 1947. The Palestine leopard. So-
traditions at that time. A person who Palestine, but a recent short field visit ciety for the Preservation of the Fauna
could hunt or kill a leopard would be could not confirm these. However, in of the Empire 55, 16-20.
acknowledged by the tribe as a distin- one area close to Dana Nature Reserve Harrison D. L. 1968. The Mammals of Ara-
bia, Vol II, Ernest Benn Ltd., London.
guished and brave man. in Tafilah, habitats are still relatively
Qumsiyeh M. B. Mammals of the Holy
In 1999, a local guide from Wadi untouched and seem to be very suita-
Land. Texas Tech Univ. Press, Lub-
Rum showed us a leopard trap, known ble for leopards due to the rugged land-
bock.
locally as margabah (Fig. 2) that was scape and presence of wadis and rocky
Qumsiyeh M. B., Amr Z. S. and Shafei D.
used by his grandfather to catch leop- cliffs which might provide very good M. 1993. Status and conservation of
ards. The trap was made of stones and shelter and forage for leopards. This is carnivores in Jordan. Mammalia, 57,
had two openings. The bait hung from also the area where the last sighting of 55-62.
the middle of the trap and when the leopards came from. It is recommend- Tristram H. B. 1866. Report on the mam-
leopard tried to take the bait, the stone ed to survey this area thoroughly and mals of Palestine. Proc. Zool. Soc. Lon-
don, 1866, 84-93.
doors of the trap closed and trapped the place some camera traps if possible.
Tristram H. B. 1888. The Survey of West-
leopard inside.
ern Palestine. The Fauna and Flora of
References: Palestine. Committee of the Palestine
People and Institutions Aharoni J. 1930. Die Säugetiere Palästinas. Exploration Fund Publishers, London.
The Royal Society for Conservation Zeit. Säugetierk. 5, 327-343. von Lehmann E. 1965. Über die Säugetiere
of Nature (RSCN) is responsible for Amr Z. S. and Disi A. 1988. Jordanian im Waldgebiet NW Syrien. Sitz. Ges.
establishment and management of pro- mammals acquired by the Jordan Uni- Nat. Fr. Berlin (N.F.), 5, 22-38.
versity Natural History Museum. Jordan
tected areas, research, cooperation with
University Publications, Amman.
international agencies, enforcement of
Blake I. A. 1966. A leopard in the wilder-
wildlife protection laws and adminis-
ness of Judea, Jordan. IUCN Bulletin
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18, 7.
Clarke J. E. 1977. A preliminary report of
Recommendations Jordan’s mammals, The Royal Society
During the past couple of years there for the Conservation of Nature, Am-
10 2006