Scientists Found 7 Mummified Cheetahs That Could Provide Key Insight for Conservation Efforts: ‘Serendipitous Discovery’

Scientists Found 7 Mummified Cheetahs That Could Provide Key Insight for Conservation Efforts: ‘Serendipitous Discovery’

The mummies were found in a network of caves in Saudi Arabia

Toria Sheffield

Sat, January 17, 2026 at 8:30 PM UTC

2 min read

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Getty Cheetah (stock image) — Getty
Cheetah (stock image)

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Scientists discovered seven mummified cheetahs in caves in Saudi Arabia, according to a new study
The remains date back to between 150 and 4,000 years ago
Researchers believe the discovery provides valuable information for ongoing cheetah conservation efforts

Scientists found mummified cheetahs in caves in Saudi Arabia, a discovery that could help shed light on current cheetah conservation efforts.

The discovery was made in the Lauga cave network in the Arar area of the northern part of the country, per a study published in Communications Earth and Environment on Jan. 15.

The researchers found seven naturally mummified cheetahs, along with the skeletal remains of 54 other cheetahs, in caves — something which they called a “serendipitous discovery,” per the study.

Scientists used radiocarbon dating to confirm that the oldest remains date back to about 4,000 years ago, with the most recent remains dating back about 150 years, meaning they span from ancient to relatively recent periods.

Getty Cheetah in Kenya (stock image) — Getty
Cheetah in Kenya (stock image)

Genomic sequencing further showed that the youngest of the cheetah mummies was closely related to what is now known as the Asiatic cheetah, while older specimens were more genetically aligned with the Northwest African cheetah.

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The results provide new information about which subspecies of cheetahs historically occupied the Arabian Peninsula.

The study’s authors note that the discovery could prove helpful for current cheetah conservation and repopulation strategies, as reintroduction programs work best when animals are genetically and ecologically suited to a landscape.

The research provides insight about which cheetahs thrived in the region most recently, helping conservationists avoid introducing animals that may be poorly suited to the environment.

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Once found across Africa and Asia, cheetahs now are found in about 10% of their historic global range, per the World Wildlife Fund (WWF). They currently inhabit parts of southern and eastern Africa, with a small critically endangered population found in Iran.

There are an estimated 6,500 cheetahs remaining in the wild, per the IUCN Red List. They are listed as “vulnerable,” meaning their population is in decline.

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