For The First Time In 10 Years – Noted Arabian Desert Cats

Arabian desert cats (Felis margarita harrisoni) is a subspecies of desert cat that goes about a shy and secretive animal, which can be seen only at night in the desert.

It is a night hunter perfectly suited to his desert home. No need to drink water, and all the things you need and receives its prey including birds, reptiles and mammals. Special fibers in the ears and paws prevent sand can not penetrate them.

Although it is widely represented in the deserts of North Africa, Arabia and Central Asia, scientists know little about this mysterious form due to lack of data and difficulties in their observations.

The Red List of the International Union for Conservation of Nature, these cats are listed as “Near Threatened”, while in the United Arab Emirates already apply to endangered species and attempts are being made for their breeding in captivity in zoos to preserve their kind .

In the western part of the United Emirates these cats in the wild are only partially documented, and that data dating back 10 years. Thus, in 2005 it was considered that in this part there are fewer than 250 of these cats.

Shaquille Ahmed, assistant scientist at the Environment Agency – Abu Dhabi, are tired of reading reports and anecdote he himself decided to seek and document arabian desert cats. In 2015, he managed to make 46 individual photographs of three cats in Bajnona – protected area in Abu Dhabi. Cats were seen late to colder temperatures, which indicates that prefer lower temperatures between 11 and 28 degrees. Their habitat were sand dunes with little vegetation.

Researchers hope this information will help form future conservation strategies and the need for some additional research about their way of life to be able to build adequately protected areas.

The research is published in the ” European Journal o f Wildlife Research “.