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. ϲϟΎΤϟ΍ ϊοϮϟ΍ϭ ϲϧΎϜϤϟ΍ ϊϳίϮΘϟ΍ϭ ω΍ϮϧϷ΍ :ΔϴΑήόϟ΍ ΓήϳΰΠϟ΍ ϪΒη ϲϓ ήϤϨϟ΍ κΨϠκ ϣϣΨϠ ϑϭήψϟ΍ ΕΩ΃ϭϭϑϭήψϟ΍ ˬΎϫΪΣ΃ ϰϔΘΧ΍ ΪϘϓ ϡϮϴϟ΍ Ύϣ΃Ύϣ΃ϡϮϴϟ΍ .ΔϴΑήόϟ΍ ΔϘτϨϤϟ΍ ϲϓ έϮϤϨϟ΍ Ϧϣω΍Ϯϧ΃ ΔѧόΑέ΃ѧόΑέ΃ ΖѧηΎϋ ϲѧοΎϤϟ΍ ϲѧϓ ήϴθΗϭ .αϭΩέΎΑ ΍ήαϭΩέΎ ΜΑ΍ή ϧΎΑϧΎΑΜ ϢγΎγΎϢ Α Ύ˱˱ϴϨϴΗϻΎϴϨϴΗϻ ϑϭήѧόϤϟ΍ϭήѧόϤϟ΍ ϲѧΑήόϟ΍ ϲѧΑήόϟ΍ ήѧϤϨϟ΍ ήѧϤϨϟ΍ ϲѧϘΑ ϦϴѧΣ ϲѧϓ ϝΎϤθѧϟ΍ ϩΎѧΠΗΎΑ ϦϴѧϋϮϧ ΡϭΰѧϧΡϭΰѧϧ ϰѧϟ· Ϧϣ ΖΒΜΘϟ΍ Ύ˱ϴϟΎΣϱήΠϳϭΎϴϟΎΣ ϱήΠϳϭ ˬΎϫΰϴϣ΃ϭ έϮϤϨϟ΍ ήϐλ΃ Ϯϫ ήϤϨϟ΍ ϥ΃ ϰϟ· ϱϮϴѧϨΒϟ΍ ϞϜθѧϟ΍ ϝϮѧΣ ΓήѧϓϮΘϤϟ΍ ΕΎϣϮѧϠόϤϟ΍ .ϲϨϴΠϟ΍ κΤϔϟ΍κΤϔϟ΍ϲϨϴ ήΒϋ ήϣϷ΍ ΍άϫ΍άϫήΒϋ ϪΒѧѧη ΔϘτϨѧѧϣ ϲѧѧϓ ϲѧѧΑήόϟ΍ ήѧѧϤϨϟ΍ ϊѧѧοϭ ϝϮѧѧΣ ΔΤѧѧο΍ϭ ΓέϮѧѧλ ΓήѧѧϴΧϷ΍ Δѧѧϧϭϵ΍ ϲѧѧϓ ΓέϮθѧѧϨϤϟ΍ ΕϼΠδѧѧϟ΍ ΖϣΪѧѧϗ ϲѧѧϓϭ ˬϝΎϤθѧѧϟ΍ ϰѧѧϟ· Δόϗ΍Ϯѧѧϟ΍ ϒΠϨѧѧϟ΍ ˯΍ήΤѧѧλ ϲѧѧϓ έϮϤϨѧѧϟ΍ Ϧѧѧϣ ήϴϐѧѧλ Ω΍ΪѧѧόΗ ΩϮѧѧΟϭ ΢πѧѧΗ΍ ΚϴѧѧΣ ΔϴΑήѧѧόϟ΍ ΓήѧѧϳΰΠϟ΍ ΔϘτϨϣ ϲϓ έϮϤϨϟ΍ ζϴѧόΗ ϦϤϴѧϟ΍ ϲѧϔϓ .ϥΎѧϤϋϥΎѧϤ˵ϋΔϨτϠѧγϭ ΔϨτϠѧγϭ ΔϴѧϨϤϴϟ΍ ΔϳέϮѧϬϤΠϟ΍ Ϧѧϣ Ϟѧϛ ϲѧϓ ΔϴΑήѧόϟ΍ έΔϴΑήѧόϟ΍ Ϯέ ϤϨѧϟ΍Ϯ ΪΟϮѧΗϤϨѧϟ΍ ΏϮϨѧΠΪΟϮѧΗ ϟ΍ΏϮϨѧΠϟ΍ Ύ˱ϗ΍ήη·Ύϗ΍ήη· ήΜϛ΃ ϊοϮϟ΍ ϭΪΒϴϓϓϭΪΒϴ ϥΎϤϋϥΎϤ˵ϋΔϨτϠγ ΔϨτϠγ ϲϓ Ύϣ΃ .ΓήΟΎΘϤϠϟΎϬΑ ϙΎδѧϣϹ΍ϭѧϣϹ΍ϭ ϞΘѧϘϟΎϛ ϞΘѧϘϟΎϛ ΔϴѧϘϴϘΣ ΔϴѧϘϴϘΣ Ε΍ΪѧϳΪϬΗ Ε΍ΪѧϳΪϬΗ ΎϬѧοήόΘΗϭ ΔϋΩϮѧϟ΍ .ΔϠϣΎθϟ΍ ϥϮμϟ΍ ήϴΑ΍ΪΗ Ϧϣ έΎϔχ ϝΎΒΟ ϦσϮΘδΗ ϲΘϟ΍ϦσϮΘδ ϲΘϟ΍ έϮϤϨϟ΍ ΕΩΎϔΘγ΍ ΚϴΣ ϦѧѧϜϤϳϻ ήѧϣϷ΍ѧϣϷ΍ ΍άѧϫ ΍άѧϫ ϥ΃ ϥ΃ ϻ· ϻ· ΔϘτϨѧѧϤϟ΍ ϲѧϓ ΔϴΑήѧόϟ΍ έϮϤϨѧѧϟ΍ Ϧѧϣ ϯήѧΧ΃ ΓΪϴѧѧΟ Ε΍Ω΍ΪѧόΗ ΩϮѧΟϭ ΔϴѧѧϧΎϜϣ· Δϟ΂ѧο Ϧѧϣ ϢϏήѧϟΎΑ ϰϟ· Ύϧήψψϰϟ· ϧ Ύϣ ΍Ϋ· Ύ˱λϮμΧϭΎλϮμΧϭ έΩΎϨϟ΍ ωϮϨϟ΍ ΍άϫ ϰϠϋ υΎϔΤϠϟ ΔϠΟΎϋ Ε΍˯΍ήΟ· ΫΎΨΗϻ ΔΟΎΤϟ΍ ίήѧΒΗήѧΒΗ ΎϨѧϫ ϦѧϣϭϭΎϨѧϫ .ϩΩΎόΒΘѧγϩΩΎόΒΘѧγ΍΍ .ΪΣ΍ϭ ϰΘΣ ϭ΃ ϦϴϨΛ΍ϭ΃ ϰϟ·΍ ΎΒϳήϗϰϟ· κϗΎϨΘΗ ΪϗΪϗΎΒϳήϗ ϱέ΍ήΒϟ΍ ϲϓ ΔϴΑήόϟ΍ έϮϤϨϟ΍ Ε΍Ω΍ΪόΗ ϥ΃ ΔϘϴϘΣ 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.