11 February 2007
It was noted that the 2007 expedition returned to a much greener and well-watered Musandam and had to contend with the cold, rain and some very testing survey routes. However, a combination of hard work and help from local communities resulted in the exciting discovery of fresh leopard tracks, less than 24 hours old. Al Hikmani and Tessa McGregor, Biosphere Expedition's field scientist positively identified the tracks. Team members have also reported hearing a leopard's call and there have been three reported sightings of the animal in the previous two months. These and other signs add to mounting evidence that point to a small remaining population of Arabian leopards in Musandam.
Biosphere Expeditions is an award-winning non-profit wildlife conservation organisation. This was the second leg of its survey of the Musandam region in collaboration with the Office of the Adviser for Conservation of the Environment, Diwan of the Royal Court and with special assistance by the Ministries of Tourism, Regional Municipalities, Environment and Water Resources and the ROP. The expedition had returned after last year's findings, which indicated that the elusive feline might still be present in Musandam, but could not produce verifiable evidence. The expedition concluded its search for this magnificent and very elusive big cat on February 9.
MUSCAT -- Conclusive evidence of the existence of Arabian leopards in the Musandam region, emanating from a Shell Oman co-sponsored Biosphere Expeditions survey that looks for evidence of the endangered big cat, has been found, it was announced at a specially held press conference at the Crowne Plaza, Qurum, yesterday. Representing the expedition team, its co-sponsors and collaborators were Irshad Moosa al Lawati, Managing Director of Shell Marketing Company, Peter Schutte, Oman expedition leader, Biosphere Expeditions, and Hadi bin Musalam al Hikmani, field biologist, Diwan of Royal Court, Office of the Adviser for Conservation of the Environment, spoke to the media.
It was noted that the 2007 expedition returned to a much greener and well-watered Musandam and had to contend with the cold, rain and some very testing survey routes. However, a combination of hard work and help from local communities resulted in the exciting discovery of fresh leopard tracks, less than 24 hours old. Al Hikmani and Tessa McGregor, Biosphere Expedition's field scientist positively identified the tracks. Team members have also reported hearing a leopard's call and there have been three reported sightings of the animal in the previous two months. These and other signs add to mounting evidence that point to a small remaining population of Arabian leopards in Musandam.
Biosphere Expeditions is an award-winning non-profit wildlife conservation organisation. This was the second leg of its survey of the Musandam region in collaboration with the Office of the Adviser for Conservation of the Environment, Diwan of the Royal Court and with special assistance by the Ministries of Tourism, Regional Municipalities, Environment and Water Resources and the ROP. The expedition had returned after last year's findings, which indicated that the elusive feline might still be present in Musandam, but could not produce verifiable evidence. The expedition concluded its search for this magnificent and very elusive big cat on February 9.
By Ali Ahmed al Riyami
© Oman Daily Observer 2007
