Whilst in the Asir Mountains on 1 April 2017
Phil Roberts and I found two Nubian Ibex Capra nubiana in an area of
steep rocky montane hills, altitude of 2000 metres above sea level. The
mountains were made of crystalline rock with an average rainfall of +/-370 mm
year. The animals appeared to be a female and well-grown young and where only
seen for a short period before they disappeared from view and could not be found
again despite extensive searching. Despite only seeing them briefly a single
photo was obtained by me that is shown below. Very few people have seen this
species in the wild in Saudi Arabia and whilst talking to a local farmer we
found out that two animals had been seen in the area once in the last year but
had not been seen for many years prior to this. This fact is borne out by the
latest surveys where only seven where seen on one occasion in the south-west near
to where we saw our animals despite helicopter and land surveys being
undertaken. In Saudi Arabia, few systematic censuses have been made with most
data coming from brief aerial and ground reconnaissance surveys made to locate
populations during 1987-1989. Among the 15 sites where ibex were found, major
concentrations occur in the western mountains of the Arabian shield, with
isolated populations located in the north, north-central and central regions.
Only scattered observations have been made in the south. The highest densities
appear to be in Jabal Qaraqar, Hemah Fiqrah and Hawtat bani Tamim Ibex Reserve.
Ancient rock drawings dating back several thousand years depicting Nubian ibex
are to be found throughout Saudi Arabia and testify to man's long association
with this species. The distribution of the Nubian ibex in Saudi Arabia spans a wide
diversity of habitat types. The relict population found in the central Tuwayq
occupies low-altitude, dissected escarpments of sedimentary rock, which are
treeless, except in narrow canyons, where precipitation averages 50 mm a year.
By contrast, ibex in the south-west of the country occupy juniper-dominated
mountain summits with elevations in excess of 2000 m, and where rainfall
averages over 350 mm a year. All the sites where they live area characterized
by difficult terrain, which tends to limit access to livestock, and the
vegetation, in terms of structure and species diversity, has remained relatively
intact in these areas. There are no population estimates in the Kingdom, but
overall, numbers are believed to be decreasing in areas where ibex are not
protected. In contrast, ibex numbers are believed to be increasing in the two
protected areas where recruitment is satisfactory and females appear to give
birth to twins frequently. In the Hawtat bani Tamim Ibex Reserve, the most
recent census (Spring 2007) recorded 400 individuals. The Nubian Ibex is legally
protected by a hunting by-law, passed in 1979, which along with gazelles, gives
the species total protection. In Saudi Arabia, it occurs in two official
reserves at Tubayq Reserve in the north, and the Ibex Reserve in Hawtat bani
Tamim in the east-central region. The Nubian Ibex is listed as Vulnerable under
the ICUN Red List as it has an estimated population of less than 10,000 mature
individuals possibly as few as 2500 mature animals with a continuing decline
rate estimated at 10% over two generations (generation length estimated at 8
years). This species occurs in Egypt east of the Nile, north-east Sudan,
northern Ethiopia and western Eritrea, Israel, west Jordan, scattered locations
in western and central Saudi Arabia, scattered locations in Yemen, and in
southern Oman. It is extinct in Lebanon and Syria.
