THE PROJECT
© Eyal Bartov
OUR AIMS & OBJECTIVES.
The Arabian Leopard Project is a research initiative aiming to assess the population size and structure of the Arabian leopards in a subsection of the Negev Highlands (Israel) in order to facilitate conservation efforts for the species. This idea was first established in 2014 out of an understanding that if nothing will be done (and rather soon) the Arabian leopard population in Israel might go extinct.
The Arabian leopard is listed as a critically endangered species in the IUCN's red list with well less than 200 individuals remaining in the wild, in small and scattered populations. Verified populations persist only in Yemen, Oman, and in Israel which contains the northernmost population of the species in the world.
Israel's population is the smallest and has been isolated for a long time with no known adjacent populations. The last study of Arabian leopards in Israel ended in 2003 and it has been more than 13 years since the last abundance estimation was done. The need for robust data concerning populations of the Arabian leopard remains at utmost importance and deemed necessary for future conservation efforts of the species.
The Arabian leopard project, aims to provide scientifically robust data in order to determine:
(a) the very existence of a remaining Arabian leopard population in the Negev Highlands region in the south of Israel (since such verified evidence is not available presently).
(b) The size and composition of the leopard population within the study area (a 400 square kilometers subsection of the Negev Highlands). Additionally, the study aims at assessing the population's size and composition of the Striped hyena in the same study area.
The study's objectives are:
(1) to provide full coverage of the entire study area using camera-traps in periods of intensive research
(2) to gather a sufficient amount of pictures of uniquely identified individuals of both species for purposes of census
(3) to create photo identification indices for both species that will serve for future follow-up studies and conservation efforts.
The Arabian Leopard Project intends to fill the current lacuna in Israel with regards to Arabian leopards' research (similar initiatives already exist in Oman and Yemen) and accordingly to provide robust and much necessary data that is crucial for future conservation efforts.
OUR METHOD.
OUR AIMS & OBJECTIVES.
The Arabian Leopard Project is a research initiative aiming to assess the population size and structure of the Arabian leopards in a subsection of the Negev Highlands (Israel) in order to facilitate conservation efforts for the species. This idea was first established in 2014 out of an understanding that if nothing will be done (and rather soon) the Arabian leopard population in Israel might go extinct.
The Arabian leopard is listed as a critically endangered species in the IUCN's red list with well less than 200 individuals remaining in the wild, in small and scattered populations. Verified populations persist only in Yemen, Oman, and in Israel which contains the northernmost population of the species in the world.
Israel's population is the smallest and has been isolated for a long time with no known adjacent populations. The last study of Arabian leopards in Israel ended in 2003 and it has been more than 13 years since the last abundance estimation was done. The need for robust data concerning populations of the Arabian leopard remains at utmost importance and deemed necessary for future conservation efforts of the species.
The Arabian leopard project, aims to provide scientifically robust data in order to determine:
(a) the very existence of a remaining Arabian leopard population in the Negev Highlands region in the south of Israel (since such verified evidence is not available presently).
(b) The size and composition of the leopard population within the study area (a 400 square kilometers subsection of the Negev Highlands). Additionally, the study aims at assessing the population's size and composition of the Striped hyena in the same study area.
The study's objectives are:
(1) to provide full coverage of the entire study area using camera-traps in periods of intensive research
(2) to gather a sufficient amount of pictures of uniquely identified individuals of both species for purposes of census
(3) to create photo identification indices for both species that will serve for future follow-up studies and conservation efforts.
The Arabian Leopard Project intends to fill the current lacuna in Israel with regards to Arabian leopards' research (similar initiatives already exist in Oman and Yemen) and accordingly to provide robust and much necessary data that is crucial for future conservation efforts.
THE METHOD.
We utilize several camera-traps for intensive research periods of 60 consecutive days each time. The cameras are routinely checked for batteries and SD memory cards. Pictures from the SD cards are analyzed in order to determine the number of uniquely identified individuals and their sex.
Thus far, we have the census results and an individual identification index for the striped hyena population in that region. We are now working to keep monitoring this population and continue to do extensive efforts to verify the persistnce of a leopard population in that region. Once this data is collected, further steps could be taken in order to enhance the conservation efforts of these populations in the Negev Highlands.
© Eyal Bartov
© Eyal Bartov