- A first for KSA, the triplets – two male and one female and a litter of two cubs – male and female – born earlier this summer
ALULA, Saudi Arabia, Dec. 4, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — The Royal Commission for AlUla (RCU) has announced the birth of a rare litter of three Arabian leopard cubs – one male and two female – marking a major milestone in efforts to safeguard the future of this critically endangered subspecies of big cats.
The triplets were born at RCU’s Arabian Leopard Conservation Breeding Centre this summer. The first time three cubs have been born together in captivity in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the youngsters are being closely observed by the centre’s expert team who are recording their behaviour and interactions.
Carefully observed via CCTV so as not to disturb them, the cubs are already displaying distinctive personalities, with the two males proving to be particularly boisterous, climbing rocks in their enclosure and play fighting with each other. The female, on the other hand, is much shyer and more attached to their mother.
While records from past decades are imperfect, this is believed to be only the third litter of Arabian leopard triplets born in captivity in roughly the past 30 years, and the first in Saudi Arabia. Currently the Arabian Leopard Conservation Breeding Centre is the world’s most successful site for the conservation breeding of Arabian leopards.
Each of the triplets have received their first vaccinations and health checks, which allowed staff to confirm their sexes. Despite their young age, individual social behaviours are emerging between the cubs, with the males described by staff as “naughty, rough-and-tumble” while the female is “sweet and attentive”.
This dynamic between siblings is essential for the cubs’ wellbeing, welfare, and behaviour. From a very young age, a hierarchy will be established with the cubs learning how to co-exist with each other as they get older. They will spend around 18 months their mother.
The centre has enjoyed something of a baby boom recently, with the triplets’ arrival coming less than a month after twin cubs were born on earlier in the year. The twins, one male and one female, are both attached to each other and to their mother, following her everywhere. They are growing and getting braver, spending the majority of their time hiding between rocks and playing together.
The births show the continued progress of RCU’s vital work to restore the Arabian Leopard population, which the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) has classified as critically endangered since 1996, with roughly 100 estimated to remain in the wild.
RCU’s centre, welcomed seven births last year and five so far this year. There are now 32 leopards at the centre – more than double the original 14 when RCU took over the project in 2020.
Dr. Stephen Browne, VP of Wildlife and Natural Heritage, RCU said: “The Arabian leopard is a powerful symbol of our vision to conserve AlUla’s natural environment through a conservation programme that is restoring nature’s balance. RCU is committed to preparing leopards born at the centre for release into the wild, ensuring they have minimum human contact and are fully equipped for reintroduction. These efforts will ultimately lead to Arabian leopards once again roaming free in AlUla’s protected nature reserves.”
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