The discovery of seven naturally mummified remains of cheetahs, alongside the skeletons of 54 others, in caves in northern Saudi Arabia has raised hope that the species could be reintroduced to the region.
Cheetahs, once common across most of Africa and southern Asia, have experienced a steep population decline, disappearing from 91 per cent of their historical range, including Saudi Arabia and the rest of the Arabian Peninsula.
There were sightings in the peninsula in the 19th century, but the animals have been thought to be locally extinct since the 1970s.
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