TRACKING DHOFAR'S HIDDEN PREDATORS

During Khareef, Dhofar is often viewed through a familiar lens — mist-covered mountains, green valleys and spectacular landscapes. But beyond the scenes that attract visitors lies a more secretive world, shaped by predators, prey and the constant struggle for survival.
Tracking these animals is among the most demanding forms of wildlife photography. Unlike photographing birds or landscapes, predator photography begins long before the camera is raised.
It requires reading tracks, identifying feeding sites, studying movement patterns, understanding the terrain and patiently waiting for an animal that may never appear.
The work can also be challenging and potentially dangerous. Predators are unpredictable, while their habitats often lie in steep and isolated mountain terrain.

Photographers may spend long hours moving quietly through difficult landscapes, sometimes returning repeatedly to the same location before capturing a single meaningful image. The real skill lies not only in finding an animal, but also in knowing when to approach, when to wait and when to retreat.
In Dhofar, this expertise is becoming increasingly valuable in understanding the region’s wildlife. Every documented track, feeding site or behavioural observation can contribute to the scientific understanding of species that remain poorly studied.
Among those who have dedicated years to this field is Mohammed bin Al Bahr al Rawas, a wildlife photographer, wildlife researcher and predator tracker in Dhofar.

His fieldwork has included tracking and photographing the Arabian leopard, Arabian lynx, Nubian ibex, Blanford’s fox, rock hyrax, Arabian wild cat, Arabian wolf, striped hyena, honey badger, Indian grey mongoose, white-tailed mongoose and porcupine.
“For me, tracking starts with understanding the animal and its environment,” Al Rawas explains. “You are not simply looking for the animal itself. You are looking for the signs it leaves behind — its tracks, movement, feeding behaviour and relationship with the landscape. It may take months to get one scene.”

His work has also crossed the boundaries between photography and scientific documentation. One of his recent achievements was documenting a Black Eagle nest in Jabal Samhan, providing valuable visual evidence of nesting activity within one of Dhofar’s most significant mountain ecosystems. The project took four months to complete.
Al Rawas has also participated in three international documentary productions associated with National Geographic, Discovery and the BBC, helping introduce Dhofar’s wildlife to international audiences.
Today, his fieldwork continues through projects focused on the striped hyena, Arabian leopard and Arabian lynx in western Dhofar.

What makes this work particularly significant is its potential to transform wildlife photography into a form of field research. In a region where seasonal changes dramatically reshape habitats, Khareef offers trackers and researchers a valuable opportunity to observe how wildlife responds to increased vegetation, water availability and changes in prey movement.
The true wealth of Khareef, therefore, is not only what visitors can see. Some of its greatest treasures remain hidden in the mountains, leaving behind tracks, calls, nests and fleeting encounters for those with the knowledge and patience to follow them.
In Dhofar, tracking predators shows that the camera can do more than capture beauty — it can help decode it.