It has only been definitely sighted there four times in the past 18 years.

 

The sand cat lives deep in the deserts of Arabia, North Africa and Central Asia and can survive for months without water. Thick fur protects its paws from the baking ground and it makes burrows in the sand to cope with the extremes of midday and night-time temperatures. It is the only species of cat to inhabit true desert. However degradation of the desert environment has led to the decline in many species including the sand cat.

 

It is classified as endangered in the regional Red List of the International Union for Conservation of Nature for the UAE.

 

Due to the elusive nature of this species and the extreme environments it inhabits, it is very hard to estimate exactly how many cats are left in the wild and to what extent they are declining, according to experts.

 

Now the WildGenes conservation genetic laboratory that was established at the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland (RZSS) based at Edinburgh Zoo three years ago, and which provides DNA analysis services to zoos worldwide, as well as undertaking collaborative research projects on topics of national and international conservation interest, will assist Al Ain Zoo, in Abu Dhabi, to launch a flagship conservation breeding and research programme for the sand cat.

 

According to Dr Helen Senn, research scientist at the RZSS WildGenes Laboratory, although the sand cat is classed as near threatened as a whole, the threat to local populations can be much greater. It is hoped that the establishment of this captive breeding programme and the information gathered from this study will help to improve the conservation prospects of this species.