Status Report on Arabian Leopard in Yemen Masaa Al Jumaily1, David P. Mallon2, Abdul Karim Nasher1, Nagi Thowabeh3 1 Faculty of Science, Sana‘a University, PO Box 12231, Sana‘a, Yemen <[email protected]> 2 3 Acre St., Glossop, Derbyshire, SK13 8JS, UK 3 Central Organization Control and Auditing, PO Box 151, Sana‘a, Yemen The assumption that the historical range of the leopard in Yemen formerly extended through all or most of the mountainous areas of the country seems to be reasonable. Since 1990 reports on the occurrence and dis- tribution of the Arabian leopard in Yemen are generalized, and all post 1990 records can be grouped in five broad clusters. 1. The northern part of the western highlands (Wada’a, Saada to the Saudi border and Kufl Shammar in Hajja. 2. The central part of the western highlands (Al Hayma, Jebel Bura’a and Jebel Raymah. 3. South western region (Radfan to Al Koor and possibly extending west to Taizz). 4. Central Yemen (Wadi Hajar, possibly with Wadi Hadhramaut). 5. Al Mahra region in the East. Due to lack of sufficient information on various aspects of the leopard’s life in Yemen, extensive field work is urgently needed to assess the status of this animal. Since the animal is facing great threat, strict protection measures are urgently needed. Major threats to leopards include 1. depletion of their prey, 2. direct persecu- tion through killing, 3. habitat degradation. Immediate action to control these threats are needed, priorities are:1. Establish the current status of the leopard and its prey. 2. Provide effective protection for the Arabian leopard and its prey. 3. Take immediate protection measures once surveying sub-populations are identified. 4. Set up an Arabian Leopard Working Group to develop a conservation strategy. 5. Develop a good captive breeding programme. 6. Initiate long term education and public awareness. 7. Strongly discourage further live capture and hunting. .ϻϮΒϘϣ ΍ήϣ΃ ϭΪΒϳ ΔϴϠΒΠϟ΍ ϖσΎϨϤϟ΍ Ϣψόϣ ϭ΃ Ϟϛ ϲϓ ΪΘϣ΍ Ϊϗ ϦϤϴϟ΍ ϲϓ ϲΑήόϟ΍ ήϤϨϟ΍ έΎθΘϧ΍ ϥ΄Α ν΍ήΘϓϻ΍ ϥ· Ύϣ΃ ˬΔϣΎϋ ΕΎϣϮϠόϣ ϲϫ 1990 ϡΎόϟ΍ άϨϣ ήϳέΎϘΘϟ΍ ϲϓ ΕήϬχ ϲΘϟ΍ ϲΑήόϟ΍ ήϤϨϟ΍ έΎθΘϧ΍ϭ ΪΟ΍ϮΗ ΕϼϴΠδΗ ϊϴϤΠϓ ΕΎόϔΗήϤϠϟ ΔϴϟΎϤθϟ΍ ΔϘτϨϤϟ΍ -1 .Δδϴ΋έ ΕΎϋϮϤΠϣ βϤΧ ϲϓ ΎϬόοϭ ϦϜϤϴϓ 1990 ΪόΑ ΕήϛΫ ϲΘϟ΍ ΕϼϴΠδΘϟ΍ Ϧϣ ςγϭϷ΍ ˯ΰΠϟ΍ -2 .(ΔΠΣ ϲϓ ήϤη Ϟϔϗ ϰϟ· ϻϮλϭϭ ΔϳΩϮόδϟ΍ ΩϭΪΤϟ΍ ϰϟ· ΍Ω΍ΪΘϣ΍ ΓΪόλϭ ΔϋΩ΍ϭ) ΔϴΑήϐϟ΍ ϊϣ έϮϜϟ΍ ϰϟ· ϥΎϓΩέ Ϧϣ) ΔϴΑήϐϟ΍ ΔϴΑϮϨΠϟ΍ ΔϘτϨϤϟ΍ -3 .(ΔϤϳέ ϞΒΟϭ ωήΑ ϞΒΟϭ ΔϤϴΤϟ΍ ) ΔϴΑήϐϟ΍ ΕΎόϔΗήϤϟ΍ ΔϘτϨϣ -5 .(ΕϮϣήπΣ ϱΩ΍ϭ ϞϤΘΤϤϟ΍ Ϧϣϭ ήΠΣ ϱΩ΍ϭ) ϰτγϮϟ΍ ΔϘτϨϤϟ΍ -4 .(ΰόΗ ϰϟ· ΎΑήϏ ΎϫΩ΍ΪΘϣ΍ ϝΎϤΘΣ΍ .ΩϼΒϟ΍ ϕήη ϊϘΗ ϲΘϟ΍ ΓήϬϤϟ΍ ΕΎγ΍έΪΑ ϡΎϴϘϠϟ ΔΤϠϣ ΔΟΎΤϟ΍ ϥΈϓ ϦϤϴϟ΍ ϲϓ ϲΑήόϟ΍ ήϤϨϟ΍ ΓΎϴΣ ΐϧ΍ϮΟ ϒϠΘΨϣ Ϧϋ ΔϠϣΎϛ ΕΎϣϮϠόϣ ήϓϮΗ ϡΪόϟ ΍ήψϧ ΫΎΨΗϻ ΔΤϠϣ ΔΟΎΣ ϙΎϨϫ ϥΈϓ ΓήϴΜϛ Ε΍ΪϳΪϬΗ ϪΟ΍Ϯϳ ήϤϨϟ΍ ϥϷ ΍ήψϧϭ .ϥ΍ϮϴΤϟ΍ ΍άϬϟ ϲϟΎΤϟ΍ ϊοϮϟ΍ ΪϳΪΤΘϟ ΔϴϠϘΣ ϲΘϟ΍ ΕΎϧ΍ϮϴΤϟ΍ ΩΎϴτλ΍ -1 :ϲϠϳ Ύϣ Δδϴ΋ήϟ΍ Ε΍ΪϳΪϬΘϟ΍ ϞϤθΗ ϭ ˬϯϮμϘϟ΍ ΔϋήδϟΎΑ ϪΘϳΎϤΤϟ Δϣίϼϟ΍ ήϴΑ΍ΪΘϟ΍ ϩάϫ ϰϠϋ ΓήτϴδϠϟϭ .ΎϬϴϓ ζϴόϳ ϲΘϟ΍ ΕΎΌϴΒϟ΍ έϮϫΪΗ 3- ˬήϤϨϠϟ ήηΎΒϤϟ΍ ϞΘϘϟ΍ 2- ˬΔόϴΒτϟ΍ ϲϓ ήϤϨϟ΍ ΎϬϴϠϋ ϯάϐΘϳ -2 .Ϫδ΋΍ήϔϟϭ ήϤϨϠϟ ϲϟΎΤϟ΍ ϊοϮϟ΍ ΪϳΪΤΗ -1 :ΔϴΗϵ΍ ΕΎϳϮϟϭϷ΍ ϖϴΒτΗ ΐΠϳ ϪϧΈϓ ΔΑϮϠτϤϟ΍ ΔϋήδϟΎΑ Ε΍ΩΪϬϤϟ΍ 4 .ΔϳϮϧΎΜϟ΍ ϪΗΎόϤΠΗ ΪϳΪΤΗ ΩήΠϤΑ Δϳέϭήπϟ΍ ΔϳΎϤΤϟ΍ ϞΒγ ΫΎΨΗ΍ -3 ..ΎϬ˰γήΘϔϳ ϲΘϟ΍ ΕΎϧ΍ϮϴΤϠϟϭ Ϫϟ ΔϳΎϤΤϟ΍ ήϴϓϮΗ -6 .ήγϷ΍ ϲϓ έΎΜϛϹ΍ Ξϣ΍ήΑ ήϳϮτΗ -5 .ΔϳΎϤΤϟ΍ ΔϴΠϴΗ΍ήΘγ΍ ϊοϮϟ ϦϴμμΨΘϤϟ΍ Ϧϣ ϞϤϋ ΔϋϮϤΠϣ ˯Ύθϧ· - .ϩΩΎϴτλΎΑ ϊϴΠθΘϟ΍ ϡΪϋ -7 .ϯΪϤϟ΍ ΓΪϴόΑ ΔϴϋϮΗϭ ϢϴϠόΗ Ξϣ΍ήΒΑ ˯ΪΒϟ΍ Status and Distribution Information on the historical distribu- western escarpment, then east to the because skins and live animals of many tion of leopards Panthera pardus nimr border with Oman. The linear distance species have traditionally been imported in Yemen is sparse and fragmentary, measures around 500 km from north to from northeast Africa into Yemen. For with only a small number of specific south and a further 900 km from east to example Hunter (1877) referred to leop- records. Nevertheless, it is generally west and represents a potentially exten- ard skins imported into Aden for sale assumed that the historical range of the sive area of former range. to ship passengers. Morrison-Scott (in leopard in Yemen extended through all Some reports relate to skins purchased a footnote to Thesiger 1949) said that the mountainous areas of the country, in markets that have only a vague place two Arabian leopard skins he examined from the Saudi border south along the of origin. Caution is additionally needed were ‘a good match’ for one from So- 20 2006 malia, so differentiating skins of Ara- bian leopards from those originating in northeast Africa may be difficult. Harrison (1968) quoted an early sight record in1843 and listed four spec- imens obtained at localities north and northeast of Aden. These were: west of Beihan; Jebel Dasha near Dhala; Mah- fid; and the Aulaqi Kaur. In the same general area, Bury (1911) reported hear- ing a leopard in Wadi Hatib, between Nisab and Dathinah. Thesiger (1949) observed leopard tracks in Wadi Ma- khya, north of Wadi Hadhramaut. Scott (1942) saw a captive animal in Sana’a and obtained a skin said to have been Fig. 1. Distribution of Leopards in the Republic of Yemen. For the numbers in the map, see procured locally; he also mentioned a text. leopard recently captured in the vicinity of Ta’iz. Sanborn & Hoogstraal (1953) described leopards as ‘scarce but wide- May 2005 in part of Wadi Hadhramaut from the central part of Hadhramaut. spread’ in the highlands of western revealed that the last leopard had been However, the lower part of this huge Yemen, and Harrison (1968) said this shot about 15 years earlier and some lo- wadi system, Wadi Masilah, has not also applied to their status in the moun- cal people who were questioned did not yet been surveyed for large mam- tains north of Aden. know the animal (EPAA 2005). mals. It is remote, largely uninhab- Obadi (1993a, b) said that leopards According to local reports collated ited and contains a 130-km long occurred from Habil Jabr, east of Rad- by the Environmental Protection Au- stretch of flowing water (F. Krupp, fan, to the Al-Kaur mountains in Abyan thority in Sana’a, leopards are present in pers. comm.). There is also no recent province and reported that 22 leopards seven localities: between Sa’dah and the information from the wadis north of had been killed there during 1979-86 by northern border with Saudi Arabia; Kufl Hadhramaut such as the area around villagers around Lawdar. This area de- Shammar, in Hajjar Governorate; Al Minwakh and Zamakh where ibex scribed covers about 180-200 km, east Hayma, east of Manakhah; Jebel Bura’a are reported to be present. to west, and lies north-east and east of and Jebel Raymah; between Ta’iz and 5. Al Mahra, in eastern Yemen. Hauf Aden. Some of the specimens listed by Aden; Hadhramaut; Al Mahra. Forest and nearby mountains share Harrison (1968) were also obtained in It is difficult to give an accurate similar habitat to that in the adjacent this region. summary of current leopard status in mountains of Dhofar. Leopards have Evans (1994) said that leopards were Yemen, given the absence of recent been recorded in Oman within a few rare in the hills surrounding Wadi Hajar survey data. However, all the above kilometres of the border (Spalton et in central-southern Yemen. Jennings post-1990 records and reports can be al. 2006) and ibex are reported to oc- (1997) reported four leopards shot in grouped into five broad geographical cur on the Yemen side (Evans 1994. the previous few years in southern and clusters (Fig. 1): Showler 1996). eastern Yemen, without giving detailed localities. 1. The northern part of the western However, the above reports vary in El-Mashjary (1995) and Lagrot & highlands (Wada’a, Kufl Shammar, data quality and may be out of date. Lagrot (1999) provided recent records and the area between Sa’dah and the It is likely that some or even many of from Wada’a, an area situated about Saudi border). theses sites no longer hold leopards, 120km north of Sana’a and containing 2. The central part of the western high- or that only small remnants survive. In 20 villages, the largest of which is Al- lands (Al Hayma, Jebel Raymah, and fact, the only site where leopard pres- Gasem (16000’N/43057’E, 2,380 m). possibly Jebel Bura’a). ence has been definitely confirmed dur- Leopard records consisted of field signs, 3. Southwest Yemen. This comprises ing the last two years is Wada’a. This livestock killed and leopards trapped. the area from Radfan to Al Kaur, as is a relatively small area and one where Several leopards have been captured described by Obadi (1993a, 1993b), leopards have been regularly trapped. subsequently in Wada’a, the latest one and possibly extending northwest- Un-notified trapping must surely at in early 2005 (Galal Al Harogi pers. wards to mountains in the vicinity least equal the number of reported cas- comm.), indicating continued occur- of Ta’iz. It is possible that some of es. Removal of animals from the wild, rence there. the captive leopards held in Ta’iz zoo either live captured or killed, cannot Recent survey work carried out by came from a nearby locality. be sustained indefinitely. Field work is one of the authors [AKN] in Bura’a 4. Central-southern Yemen (Wadi Hajar urgently needed to assess the status of protected area found no signs or local and Hadhramaut). It seems likely leopards in each of these areas and the reports of leopards.