Semen evaluation in an aged critically endangered captive Arabian leopard (Panthera pardus nimr): A case study

The Arabian leopard (Panthera pardus nimr) is a critically endangered animal that is listed on the IUCN red list. While the IUCN measures a threat to a species by the number of animals in the wild, another threat is emerging with the Arabian leopard, namely an ever growing ageing population in captivity. Ageing of animals would presumably reduce the reproductive performance of male and female Arabian leopards alike. While male sperm quality has been least studied in the Arabian leopard compared with other Panthera sp. counterparts, the objective of this study was to determine sperm quality aspects of an aged male leopards reared in captivity. Our data indicate that although sperm motility might decrease with age, semen characteristics were within an acceptable range for wild felids. This suggests that utilization of more advanced assisted reproductive technologies (ART) could greatly enhance biodiversity conservation programs of the Arabian leopard in the Arabian peninsula.