Royal Commission for AlUla observes International Day of the Arabian Leopard
The Royal Commission for AlUla (RCU) is
marking the International
Day of the Arabian Leopard on 10 February under the theme “Leap of
Hope,” drawing global attention to one of the world’s most critically
endangered big cats and reaffirming its commitment to protecting biodiversity
and wildlife.
Observed annually on 10 February,
the day gained official international recognition in June 2023, when the United
Nations General Assembly designated it as the International Day of the Arabian
Leopard. The move placed the species firmly on the global environmental agenda
and intensified awareness of its fragile conservation status.
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The occasion reflects a wide-ranging
conservation effort led by RCU in collaboration with the Arabian Leopard Fund, Catmosphere, the
Smithsonian Institution and the International Union
for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). Together, these partners are working to
protect ecosystems, restore natural habitats and plan for the eventual
reintroduction of Arabian leopards into the wild.
International Day of the Arabian
Leopard builds on a programme launched in 2022 by RCU alongside the Arabian
Leopard Fund and Catmosphere. Since then, the initiative has evolved into an
international platform highlighting the leopard’s ecological significance while
supporting long-term strategies to safeguard wildlife in AlUla and beyond.
The Arabian leopard has become a
flagship symbol of RCU’s mission to regenerate natural systems across AlUla’s
nature reserves. The commission directly manages five reserves, where efforts
focus on vegetation protection, wildlife conservation, ecological balance and
preparing suitable environments for the species’ future return.
RCU and its partners also implement
specialised technical programmes, including environmental data analysis,
scientific monitoring of animals released into protected areas, the preparation
of research reports and the development of long-term conservation plans aligned
with internationally recognised standards.
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As part of the “Leap of Hope”
campaign, community activities in AlUla include Arabian Leopard Trails with
AlUla Club, guided ecosystem tours and a public dialogue session. International
outreach efforts feature a specialist workshop and awareness event in the
United States in collaboration with the Smithsonian Institution.
Further underscoring Saudi Arabia’s
commitment to biodiversity protection, RCU’s Arabian Leopard Conservation
Breeding Center is the first facility of its kind in the Kingdom to join the
European Association of Zoos and Aquaria and the third in the Middle East,
reinforcing sustained, year-round efforts to conserve the Arabian leopard.
Source: One Arabia
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