IUCN / SSC Cat Specialist Group - Digital Cat Library |
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| Mallon, D.; Budd, K. | |
| Regional Red List Status of Carnivores in the Arabian Peninsula | |
| 2011 Full Book | |
A Regional Red List Workshop for the carnivores of the Arabian Peninsula took place 8-10 February 2011. The workshop was organised and funded by the Environment and Protected Areas Authority, Government of Sharjah and hosted by the Breeding Centre for Endangered Arabian Wildlife. More than 30 experts from within and outside the region participated. The workshop was facilitated by Caroline Pollock from the IUCN Red List Unit in Cambridge, UK. Thirty species of terrestrial carnivores have been reported to occur within the Arabian region and 20 of these have been recorded within the Arabian Peninsula. The regional Red List status of 16 species was assessed in two working groups. Out of the 20 species, one was assessed as Regionally Extinct, one as Critically Endangered, two as Endangered, one Vulnerable, four Near Threatened, five Least Concern and two Data Deficient. The four remaining species were deemed Not Applicable for regional assessment, according to the IUCN guidelines. Eight (50%) species are more threatened at a regional level than they are globally, the three largest species (wolf, leopard, cheetah) by 2-3 categories of threat. Populations of 12 species are considered to be declining, two are increasing and trends in two are unknown. The main threat to all carnivores is indiscriminate and sustained persecution through hunting, trapping and poisoning. Other threats include habitat destruction and degradation through overgrazing, expansion of roads and settlements and commercial and industrial development. Several Protected Areas have been established, some of which cover a substantial area, and carnivores occur in many of these. However, very few have been designed in order to protect carnivores and protection within them may not be effective when high priority potential prey species are present. A sustained public awareness campaign is needed across the region to highlight the ecological importance of carnivores and to counter the prevailing negative attitude towards them. |
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