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Arabitragus jayakari | UAE National Red List of Mammals: Marine and Terrestrial

Location
Countries in Assessment
United Arab Emirates (the)
Country ISO code(s)
ARE
Does the assessment cover a marine EEZ area(s)?
Off
Scope (Assessment)
National
Taxon
Taxonomic Group
Vertebrates
Taxonomic Group Level 2
Mammals
Assessed taxon level
Species
Taxonomic Notes
The Arabian Tahr was removed from the Hemitragus genus and assigned the monotypic genus Arabitragus following research by Ropiquet and Hassanin (2005), which showed a weak genetic relationship with other Hemitragus species. The Arabian Tahr is most closely allied with the Ammotragus genus which has one living member, the Aoudad Ammotragus lervia. Ancestors of the Aoudad and Arabian Tahr are thought to have diverged around 4-“7 Mya in North Africa and/or Arabia (Ropiquet and Hassanin 2005). This period coincides with the onset of Northern Hemisphere glaciations, and cooler, drier, and more variable climates (Peizhen et al. 2001).
Taxon distribution as listed in assessment
The Arabian Tahr is endemic to the Hajar Mountains of Oman and UAE, extending for about 600 km from Musandam to Jebel Qahwan, south of Sur, with a small population on the outlying Jebel Hafeet (Insall 2008). The former distribution in the UAE is not known in detail and no systematic survey has ever been carried out. There are confirmed records from Jebel Hafeet in Abu Dhabi and Wadi Wurayah in Fujairah, as well as some local reports from elsewhere. A villager in Wadi Safad, Fujairah reported “wa'el' in remote parts of the wadi (Hellyer 1994). A survey of Ru'us Al Jibal in Ras al Khaimah Emirate found no signs of the Arabian Tahr and local people there did not know the species (Environment and Protected Areas Authority 2006). The latest record of tahr in Wadi Wurayah N.P. is a camera trap photo taken in October 2012 (Al Bustan Zoological Centre and Environment Agency -“ Abu Dhabi 2015, Judas 2016). Tahr may still occur in very low numbers in the national park or they may already be extinct there. Arabian Tahr are still present on Jebel Hafeet, which is shared between United Arab Emirates and Oman; nine tahr were camera-trapped there in 2015 (Al Zaabi and Soorae 2015). In 2017 the Dubai Municipality environment team obtained camera trap images of tahr inside the Hatta enclave which is surrounded on three sides by Omani territory. This population was not included in the status review that formed part of the national conservation strategy (Al Bustan Zoological Centre and Environment Agency -“ Abu Dhabi 2015) and may have moved to the area recently. Recent surveys in Oman have confirmed the presence of Arabian Tahr close to the border with UAE, but the border is now fenced in the lower part, though animals may still be able to move across the higher ridges.
Habitats and Ecology
Ecological system type
Terrestrial system
No
Freshwater system
No
Marine system
No
Habitat
Habitat details as listed in assessment
Inhabits mountains and mountain wadis. A recent systematic survey across the whole range used occupancy modelling to quantify habitat associations and create a predictive distribution model for the species. The results showed that Arabian Tahr preferred steep, rugged mountain habitats, and that occupancy was much higher in protected areas; occupancy decreased with proximity to villages, and with increasing numbers of domestic goats (Ross et al. 2017). Births are reported almost throughout the year, and November may be the only month when kids have not been born (Harrison and Bates 1991). Gestation is 140-“145 days. Tahr are found in small groups, consisting of a female and kid or a male and female with a kid. Males are usually solitary, and never consort with another male. The highly territorial males scrape the soil with their hooves, marking it with dung and urine and “horning' vegetation (Munton 1985). In Oman, peak occupancy occurs at approximately 1,000 m in elevation, given suitable habitat, but tahr currently occupy elevations from 81 to 2,315 m above sea level (Ross et al. 2017); the elevation range in UAE is less well-known: the two tallest peaks in Wadi Wurayah N.P. slightly exceed 1,100 m, Jebel Hatta is 1,300+ m, and Jebel Hafeet rises to 1,249 m; however, elevation per se may be less important than relative inaccessibility to predators.
Is there a map available in assessment?
Yes
Assessed status
Asessment status in full
Critically endangered
Assessment status abreviation
CR
Assessment status criteria
D
Assessment rationale/justification
The Arabian Tahr is endemic to the Hajar Mountains and Jebel Hafeet of Oman and UAE. The species is assessed as Critically Endangered (CR D) because the total population is suspected to be well below 50 mature individuals. The two remaining subpopulations number 10-12 and are completely isolated from each other, and none have been reported from a third location since 2012. The extent of border fencing means that there is no significant rescue effect. Conservation actions are required for this species, including the implementation of the National Conservation Strategy.
About the assessment
Assessment year
2018
Assessors/contributors/reviewers listed
UAE National Red List Workshop
Affliation of assessor(s)/contributors/reviewers listed on assessment
Government
IGO
Assessor affiliation specific
Government|IGO
Criteria system
Criteria system specifics
IUCN v3.1
Criteria system used
IUCN
Criteria Citation
IUCN. 2012. IUCN Red List Categories and Criteria: Version 3.1, Second edition. IUCN, Gland, Switzerland and Cambridge, UK. iv + 32pp pp. And IUCN. 2012. Guidelines for Application of IUCN Red List Criteria at Regional and National Levels: Version 4.0. Gland, Switzerland and Cambridge, UK: IUCN. iii + 41pp.
Endemism
Endemic to region
No
Endemism Notes
Is an endemic?: No
Endemism specifics: Near endemic (endemic to Hajar mountains of UAE and Oman)
Conservation
Threats listed in assessment
Arabian Tahr is a protected species in UAE (Article 12 of Federal Law No. (24) of 1999), but hunting remains a popular activity. The mountainous terrain that tahr inhabit makes effective patrolling difficult, but trained rangers and regular patrolling are needed to protect remaining tahr and any released animals. Overgrazing by domestic livestock reduces the quantity and quality of forage available, and therefore the number of tahr and other species that an area can support. Feral goats and donkeys are also present in many parts of the mountains, adding to the problem, and possibly also outcompeting tahr, obliging them to utilise areas with less suitable grazing, although donkeys are less likely to be found in the steep terrain preferred by Arabian Tahr. In some areas of prime habitat, there has been a steady increase in domestic livestock numbers, and new road networks make it easy to transport livestock to new pasture or to bring in supplementary food and water. The expanding network of graded secondary roads also fragments suitable habitat. In times of severe drought, Arabian Tahr have been found in poor condition. Conditions in the mountains in recent years appear to be becoming drier and hotter, with impacts on vegetation and availability of water. As tahr populations become smaller and more isolated, the movement of individuals between them is increasingly difficult, resulting in reduced genetic variation. Feral dogs have been seen chasing tahr on Jebel Hafeet (Al Bustan Zoological Centre and Environment Agency -“ Abu Dhabi 2015). Fencing of reserves and other areas in the Hajar Mountains impedes movement of animals between subpopulations and increases the negative effects of fragmentation. Escapes or releases around Jebel Hafeet, including in Wadi Tarabat, of exotic ungulates (Nubian Ibex Capra nubiana, Barbary Sheep Ammotragus lervia and Wild Sheep Ovis orientalis), which are much larger than tahr, represent potentially serious competition. Several diseases and other health issues have been reported in captive tahr populations. Infectious diseases include pasteurellosis, clostridium, E. colii, echinococcus, para-TB, PPT, FMD, (animals are routinely vaccinated against these); coccidiosis, upper respiratory tract diseases, purulent bacterial pneumonia, and malignant catarrhal fever. Non-infectious diseases include: dystocia, indigestion, chronic acidosis, capture myopathy and stress, hematoma, and abomasal obstruction. Husbandry issues include fighting among males and among females leading to injury or even death; other accidents/trauma and genetic problems related to small founder sizes (Al Bustan Zoological Centre and Environment Agency -“ Abu Dhabi 2015).
Conservation Measures

Conservation measures:
Conservation measures notes:
Required conservation measures:

Further information
History
The backcasted 1996 assessment for this species is Critically Endangered under criterion C2a(i) which matches the listing given by Hornby (1996). While there would have been more movement of animals between the UAE and Oman in 1996, this would not have been a significant rescue effect because of the declining population in Oman at the time plus the growing hunting pressures in the UAE.