In pictures: Cameras catch rare glimpse of Arabian leopard in Dhofar

Muscat: Trap cameras in the Governorate of Dhofar have caught a rare glimpse of the critically endangered Arabian leopard, the Royal Court of Diwan confirmed in a statement online.

The cameras were installed as part of the Department of Environmental Affairs Salalah's conservation efforts. The species has been listed as critically endangered on the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s (IUCN) Red List of animals that are close to extinction, with fewer than 200 Arabian leopards now roaming the wild.

In Oman, the leopard is protected from hunting and capture by Ministerial Decree 101/02 and Royal Decrees 111/96, 75/98, 114/2001 and 6/2003.

Under Royal Decree 6/2003, the penalty for the hunting or capture of leopards is imprisonment for no less than six months, and no more than five years, and a fine of no less than OMR1,000 and no more than OMR5,000.

According to the IUCN, the main stronghold for the Arabian Leopard is a continuous tract of territory in Dhofar, as well as the Hawf area of northeastern Yemen. There are also small, isolated populations in Saudi Arabia.