“This is one of the NWRC captive breeding programs undertaken in cooperation with a similar center in Sharjah,” general director of NWRC Ahmed Alboug said.
He said the center's entire staff is very happy about the birth of these two cubs since the Arabian leopard is a critically endangered species that is on the red list of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).
Only 200 are believed to be remaining in countries in the region such as Yemen, Oman, United Arab Emirates, Jordan and Palestine.
Alboug estimated that the Kingdom has around 80 to 100 leopards in the wild. They are mostly found in the southwestern and northwestern parts of the Kingdom, he added. Alboug said the sex of the cubs is still not known as the mother is still protecting them.
The parents of the cubs are named Fareeda and Al-Jazeerah. “We have to think of two good names for the newborns after discovering their gender, “ Alboug said.
The general director said under the leadership of Bandar bin Saud, secretary general of the Saudi Wildlife Commission (SWC), the organization has been able to successfully carry out captive breeding programs for other endangered species such as the houbara bustard, Arabian oryx and red-necked ostrich.
Under the program, Alboug said the NWRC was able to breed eight cubs over the past three years. “We have planned a national and regional strategy to conserve the endangered species that will be useful in maintaining an ecological balance in wildlife.”
Since 2007, the NWRC has looked after two female and four male Arabian leopards under the captive breeding program.
He also said the SWC has installed cameras and carries out regular aerial surveillance to monitor the movements of animals in the jungles. “This is done purely for conservation purposes,” he said, pointing out that hunters are not allowed to hunt endangered species.
According to local regulations, hunters should obtain permits for hunting from their respective governorates in their regions. They are also not allowed to hunt in the 16 protected areas in the Kingdom, Empty Quarter and places close to urban settlements.
The hunters are not allowed to use firearms and they are allowed to lay traps for rabbits. They are allowed to hunt with hounds and falcons.