Which critically endangered apex predator is safeguarded in the rugged limestone canyons of the Jebel Samhan Nature Reserve in Dhofar?
Answer and explanation
Correct answer: C. The Arabian Leopard
- Step 1: The Arabian leopard (Panthera pardus nimr) is one of the world's most endangered big cats, with fewer than 200 individuals remaining in the wild.
- Step 2: Jebel Samhan Nature Reserve, covering 4,500 square kilometers, represents the largest and most secure remaining refuge for wild Arabian leopards in Arabia.
Answer
The Arabian Leopard.
Why not the others: 'The Asiatic Cheetah' is extinct in Arabia and survives only in small numbers in central Iran; 'The Striped Hyena' coexists in the reserve as a scavenger, but is not the flagship cat; 'The Caracal Lynx' is a smaller wildcat found across Oman.
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