Mataab Al Ghafri

Career

I am interested in wildlife conservation and management. I work at the Office for Conservation of Environment (OCE) which manages five nature reserves across Oman. The OCE’s main conservation focus are Arabian Oryx, Sand gazelle, Mountain gazelle, Nubian ibex, Arabian Tahr and Arabian Leopard.

Research interests 

My research is about the Nubian ibex (Capra nubiana) which is one of the few caprids living in the desert. Up to now there are two populations in Oman, one in the Al Wusta (Hima) region and the other one in the Southern region (Dhofar).  I am investigating the population status and the effect of isolation on their gene pools and hope to discern the best management approaches to conserve the remaining numbers in the wild. I am also investigating the relatedness of these isolated populations to other populations across the species range (Arabia/ North Africa) and with other caprid species.