Saturday, 26 May 2012

Rare Arabian leopard in need of safe corridors


As the sun rises in the sky and temperatures soar, Mr Spotty - a four-year-old male Arabian leopard - moves slowly back into the shade of his enclosure.
But he moves forward enthusiastically when his keeper, Jane Budd a South African veterinarian approaches.
"The Arabian leopard is the smallest of all the nine subspecies of leopard," Jane explains.
"Experts estimate that there are fewer than 200 left in the wild. These are further endangered because they live in small groups and each has a tiny population so the risk of extinction due to inbreeding is high."
In order to counter this threat The Arabian Wildlife Centre has been breeding the leopard for a decade.

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