Arabian Leopard Sanctuary : a safe haven for the Arabian Leopard
A small mountain range located east of Salalah, Jebel Samhan extends its wooded foothills over the coastal plain of Mirbat. The terrain is rugged: narrow gorges and high passes. It abounds with tropical vegetation and many forests of frankincense trees. The meadows of the high valleys (the massif culminates at 2,100 m) serve as meadows for cattle, a surprising image! A distinguished guest lives here: the Arabian leopard, a small panther recognizable by its yellow coat spotted with rosettes, which is the smallest representative of the species. Fond of gazelles, Nubian ibexes and small mammals, it would be according to the International Union for the Conservation of Nature “in critical danger of extinction”. Only 600 individuals remain on the peninsula. The creation of the reserve is its last chance.
