The Arabian Leopard

Catmosphere champions awareness and conservation efforts for the critically endangered Arabian Leopard, an icon of the Middle Eastern region.

The Arabian Leopard was once commonplace in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and throughout the Arabian Peninsula.

Habitat loss and diminished abundance of prey species have dwindled the population, pushing the subspecies to the brink of extinction. Today, no more than 200 individuals exist in the wild, with numbers likely much lower.

Conservation efforts to ensure the subspecies’ survival are ongoing. Awareness raising is a key part of these activities. Helping to inform authorities of the need for policy, encouraging key stakeholders to act, stimulating the release of funding, and working to ensure that the general public are educated and ready to co-exist in harmony with wild Arabian Leopard populations.

Catmosphere has worked together with its partners to promote the cause of the Arabian Leopard in the Middle East and globally. We encouraged the adoption of an annual awareness day both nationally and internationally, and were rewarded when 10th February was recognized, firstly within the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in 2022, and then internationally with the passing of a resolution by the United Nations in 2023. The world’s inaugural International Day of the Arabian Leopard took place on 10th February, 2024.

Catmosphere also worked together with its partners to produce the world’s first-ever bilingual (Arabic and English) educational film series about the Arabian Leopard, the Arabian Leopard Deep Dive, and to launch a permanent trail walk, the Arabian Leopard Celebration Trail, in AlUla’s Sharaan Nature Reserve.

Our flagship event, Catwalk, while celebrating all seven Big Cat species, has always had a special place for the Arabian Leopard. In 2024 the date for Catwalk was moved to coincide with the first ever UN designated International Day of the Arabian leopard. In every Catwalk the Leopard has proven to be the most popular Big Cat, a clear signal of the reverence for the Arabian Leopard among Catwalk enthusiasts.