The Nubian ibex Capra nubiana was categorized as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List in 2020. Historically, its distribution extended from north-east Africa to the Middle East. Its current distribution in Saudi Arabia according to the IUCN Red List is unclear, suggesting that it may be restricted to one location, and may have been extirpated from 11 other sites. During 2020–2022, camera-trap surveys were undertaken to determine the presence of the Arabian leopard Panthera pardus nimr within Saudi Arabia, covering the habitat of the Nubian ibex and providing an opportunity to review its distribution. We obtained 426 Nubian ibex records from 42 camera-trap stations, comprising 113 independent detections at eight of the 16 sites surveyed. Additionally, the species is known to occur in at least five areas where captive-bred Nubian ibex have been released. Our findings confirm that wild Nubian ibex populations persist along the mountain ranges in the west of the country and highlight areas that remain important refuges for this ungulate. Reintroductions have become a key strategy in Saudi Arabia to reinforce threatened populations and increase the geographical range of the Nubian ibex. We advocate a cautious approach to reintroductions, based on population-level genetic research on both wild and reintroduced populations.

Waterholes are a limited resource vital to the conservation of biodiversity in arid ecosystems. Given the rarity of natural waterholes in deserts and their presumed importance to Vulnerable Nubian ibex Capra nubiana, we examined the influence of landscape characteristics and anthropogenic factors on ibex presence at waterholes. Our results suggest that anthropogenic factors play a larger role in waterhole use than landscape characteristics. Ibex used waterholes regardless of maximum waterhole diameter, maximum water depth or width of the valley in which the waterhole was located. However, ibex were significantly more likely to use waterholes that were far from human dwellings and that had not been visited recently by feral donkeys. Waterhole and ibex conservation will require working with local communities to protect, and ensure sustainable use of, this vital resource.