MUSCAT: Represented by the Environment Authority (EA), the Sultanate of Oman marked the “International Day of the Arabian Leopard”, which falls on 10 February every year.
The event seeks to raise public awareness about the importance of the Arabian Leopard, considered a “critically endangered creature”, according to the classification of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). It also aims to enhance efforts to protect biodiversity and wildlife.
Dr Mohammed bin Mahad al Maashani, from the Environment Authority, said that, thanks to the Arabian leopard project in the mountains of Dhofar Governorate, efforts made to protect the species achieved remarkable progress evidenced by new births of leopards in the wild.
These new births instil hope for the sustained presence of the Arabian leopard in open landscapes and contribute to maintaining the ecological balance in the region, he added.
Al Maashani explained that the Arabian leopard, scientifically known as "Panthera pardusnimr", is one of the smallest and rarest species of leopard. Studies showed that the Arabian leopard suffers from the loss of its natural habitat and a decline in the volume of prey, in addition to other threats like illegal trafficking.
He pointed out that Oman serves as one of the few places where this species still survives, and that the Environment Authority is keeping track of the Arabian leopard in several sites in the Dhofar Mountains.
The Environment Authority collects data and analyses environmental indicators to help improve the living conditions of the Arabian leopard, he explained.
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