Yousef Alfaifi
I am the Reintroduction Lead at the Royal Commission for AlUla (RCU), Saudi Arabia, where my work focuses on supporting the long-term recovery of the Critically Endangered Arabian leopard (Panthera pardus nimr) through ecosystem restoration and conservation translocations. Since joining RCU in 2021, I have led field operations to restore key prey populations, including Arabian oryx, Arabian gazelle, Sand gazelle, and Nubian ibex, which are essential for future leopard recovery. My responsibilities include planning and implementing conservation translocations, habitat assessment, telemetry-based monitoring, and adaptive management. I also contributed to the Arabian Leopard Reintroduction Theory of Change and collaborate with national and international experts on leopard conservation. In addition, I gained practical experience in wild cat conservation through training associated with the capture of Eurasian lynx (Lynx lynx) in the Jura Mountains of Switzerland.
