Overview
- A Saudi-led team surveyed 134 caves near Arar in 2022–2023, uncovering seven naturally mummified cheetahs and 54 skeletons across five sites.
- Radiocarbon analyses date skeletal remains to as old as about 4,000 years, with mummies ranging from roughly 130 to about 1,870 years old.
- Researchers extracted complete genomes from three mummified specimens, marking the first such recovery from naturally mummified big cats.
- Genetic data show the most recent specimen clusters with the Asiatic cheetah, while two older individuals align with the Northwest African subspecies.
- The study suggests broader genetic sourcing could support future reintroduction in Saudi Arabia, though experts note small donor populations and ongoing habitat and conflict challenges.