Researchers have discovered mummified cheetahs in northern Arabia

Archaeologists have discovered seven naturally mummified cheetahs (Acinonyx jubatus) in caves in northern Saudi Arabia and found that at least two subspecies of the predator lived on the Arabian Peninsula before the local extinction. The results of the study may open up new possibilities for the return of cheetahs to the region. This was reported on January 15 by Communications Earth & Environment (CEE) magazine.

The discovery of seven naturally mummified cheetahs (Acinonyx jubatus) in caves in northern Saudi Arabia has shown that at least two subspecies of this endangered predator lived on the Arabian Peninsula before the local extinction. The results of the study may open up new possibilities for the return of cheetahs to the region.

Previously, cheetahs inhabited a significant part of Africa, as well as Western and Southern Asia, but at the moment they have been preserved in only 9% of their historical range. In Asia, their distribution has decreased by 98%, and in the Arabian Peninsula, these predators have been considered locally extinct since the 1970s.

Despite the existence of five subspecies of cheetah, it was believed that only the Asian cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus venaticus) lived in Saudi Arabia, whose population is currently in critical condition: they remained in small numbers in the wild in Iran. For this reason, the possibility of reintroducing cheetahs to the region has long been controversial.

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The author of the study from the National Wildlife Center of Saudi Arabia, Ahmed Bug, and his colleagues discovered seven mummified cheetahs, as well as the skeletal remains of 54 more animals in five caves near the city of Ararat in 2022-2023. Scientists have dated samples from two mummies and five skeletal remains. The oldest bones are said to be about 4,000 years old, and the mummified remains date back to about 130 and 1870.

The researchers were able to extract complete genomic sequences from three samples — a first for naturally mummified large cats. Genetic analysis showed that the youngest species is most closely related to the Asian cheetah, while two older ones, including the oldest dated specimen, were genetically closer to the Northwest African (Acinonyx jubatus hecki).

According to the authors, these data suggest that not only Asian predators may be suitable for restoring the cheetah population in Saudi Arabia. A wider genetic pool increases the realism of rewilding programs. In addition, the study shows that the analysis of ancient DNA from such finds can be an important tool in planning the reintroduction of other extinct species.

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On December 26 last year, the Science X news portal reported the discovery of a wild flat-headed cat, which was considered extinct, in Thailand. It was clarified that the last time the species was seen in the country was about 30 years ago.

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