Wild Cats of the Middle East

The Middle East is home to both big cats and small wild cats. Middle Eastern wild cats include the Persian leopard, Asiatic cheetah and Arabian leopard, and small wild cats such as the Eastern lynx, Arabian caracal, sand cat, jungle cat, Asiatic wildcat and Pallas’s cat.

wild cats middle east mapMore About the Middle East

The Middle East is a region that extends from southwest Asia to northeast Africa. Bordering water includes the Mediterranean Sea, Red Sea, Gulf of Aden, Arabian Sea, Persian Gulf, Caspian Sea, Black Sea and Indian Ocean.

There are many deserts (Arabian Desert, Kara Kum Desert) and grasslands throughout the Middle East. Other geographic features include rivers such as the Tigris, Euphrates and Nile; and the Zagros, Hindu Kush and Taurus Mountains

Countries in the Middle East include Cyprus, Syria, Lebanon, Israel, the West Bank and Gaza, Jordan, Iraq, Iran, Saudi Arabia, Yemen, Oman, United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait, Egypt and Libya. 

Middle East Wild Cat Species

Big Cats

Persian leopard (Panthera pardus tulliana) – a large leopard found in Iran, Iraq (also North Caucasus, Georgia, Armenia, Turkmenistan, Afghanistan and Turkey).

Asiatic cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus venaticus) – also called the Persian or Iranian cheetah. A Critically Endangered big cat. Only found in Iran.

Arabian leopard (Panthera pardus nimr) – inhabits the Arabian Peninsula. It is a Critically Endangered big cat. There are less than 200 Arabian leopards in the wild. 

Small Wild Cats

Caucasian lynx (Lynx lynx dinniki) – also known as the Eastern lynx. A subspecies of the Eurasian lynx.

Arabian Caracal (Caracal caracal schmitzi) –also known as the Asian caracal, Indian caracal and desert lynx. The smallest of the seven caracal subspecies. Can be found in many different habitats, but prefers semi-deserts and dry woodlands with vegetation or rocks for cover.

Jungle cat (Felis chaus)
Sand cat (Felis margarita)
Asiatic wildcat (Felis lybica ornate)
Pallas’s cat (Felis manul) 

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Middle East Wild Cat Conservation