RIYADH: The designation of Feb. 10 as International Day of the Arabian Leopard has been welcomed as the majestic big cat remains critically endangered with fewer than 200 in the wild. Saudi Arabia’s UN mission tweeted on Monday: “Today the UN General Assembly adopted by consensus the resolution entitled International Day of the Arabian Leopard”. “The resolution,” the tweet continued, “proclaims the 10th of February as the International Day of the Arabian Leopard to be observed annually. It highlights the Arabian leopard, one of the most critically endangered subspecies, and focuses on its importance to wildlife and biodiversity protection.” In 2022, Saudi Arabia declared Feb. 10 as “Arabian Leopard Day” in a bid to raise awareness of the endangered big cat. The Saudi ambassador to the US and an avid campaigner for the protection of Arabian leopards, Princess Reema bint Bandar, praise the UN recognition. “I am so happy to see the UN Draft Resolution on the International Day of the Arabian Leopard approved,” she tweeted. Catmosphere, Arabian Leopard Fund, and The Royal Commission for AlUla have worked “tirelessly to raise awareness about the Critically Endangered Arabian Leopard & focus international attention on its plight,” she wrote on Monday. “The public response to our campaigns such as Catwalk & Arabian Leopard Day in Saudi Arabia have demonstrated a deep & continuing passion for this beautiful Big Cat across its historic native range,” Princess Reema wrote. The Catmosphere foundation was launched in 2021 by Princess Reema who is on a mission to safeguard the future of big cats. The nonprofit aims to magnify the efforts of Panthera, a US-based charity devoted to the conservation of 40 species of wild cats.  Catmosphere “uses the stories of Big Cats and their conservation challenges to encourage us all to take action to address our collective wellbeing,” the foundation describes its purpose on its website. The Arabian Leopard is classified by the International Union for Conservation of Nature as “critically endangered” – one step away from extinction in the wild. Fewer than 200 are believed to exist throughout the Arabian Peninsula, with the largest confirmed surviving population found in Oman’s Dhofar Mountains. Rewilding Arabia Return of the leopard is at the heart of plans to conserve and regenerate Saudi Arabia’s landscapes and wildlife Enter keywords