Critically endangered Arabian caracal reappears in UAE’s Wadi Wurayah after decades of silence

Arabian Caracal Spotted Again in UAE After Years of Silence (Image: WWF)

Conservationists in the UAE are celebrating a rare rediscovery. An Arabian caracal, once feared lost from the region, has been captured on camera in Wadi Wurayah National Park. The sighting has renewed hope for a species now considered critically endangered in the country.

The Arabian caracal was photographed by camera traps on Sunday, according to the Fujairah Environment Authority. The species, also called the desert lynx or Persian lynx, has been recorded only twice since 2019. Its reappearance marks the third confirmed sighting in nearly six years.

Wadi Wurayah, the UAE's first mountain reserve situated in Fujairah, is inhabited by high biodiversity and is an asylum for endangered species. The sighting highlights the significance of the park as a sanctuary for wildlife.

How many Arabian caracals remain in the wild?

It is estimated that only a mere 250 Arabian caracals remain in the UAE today. The species was initially sighted back in Jebel Hafeet in 2019 after going missing for almost 35 years. There was another sighting in an area near Wadi Shees in March 2023.

We are delighted to announce that we sighted an Arabian #Caracal on Jabal Hafit in #AlAin - for the first time in 35 years. The sand-coloured cat that was last seen in the Emirate of #AbuDhabi in 1984. pic.twitter.com/ZjHV4zGqyb

— The Environment Agency - Abu Dhabi (@EADTweets) February 23, 2019

A native of the Arabian Peninsula deserts and mountains, caracals are shy and predominantly active at night, which means they are rarely seen. In the past, the cats used to be trained for bird hunting in India and the Gulf. In ancient Egypt, sculptures of caracals were believed to guard the tombs of pharaohs.

“This rediscovery is a powerful reminder of Wadi Wurayah’s role as a refuge for rare and threatened species,” said Dr Al Hassan Alhamoudi, director of the biodiversity and natural resources department at Fujairah Environment Authority.

The sighting provides conservationists with a glimmer of hope as they battle to save one of the continent's most secretive predators. The sighting also points to the need for sustained monitoring and habitat conservation in order to guarantee the survival of the Arabian caracal.