Sand Cat Kitten

Hunting this cat is prohibited in Algeria, Iran, Israel, Kazakhstan, Mauritania, Niger, Pakistan and Tunisia. No legal protection is offered by Egypt, Mali, Morocco, Oman, Saudi Arabia, or United Arab Emirates.
Since 2007, the first four kittens born in captivity are being raised at the Al Ain Zoo in the United Arab Emirates as an effort to preserve the local fauna. In May 2010, the Al Ain Wildlife Park & Resort (AWPR) announced the first-ever birth of two Sand cat kittens following an in vitro fertilization and embryo transfer procedure at its facilities.
Two Arabian sand cat kittens were born at the Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden on Oct. 29, 2009. As of January 20, 2010, there are 26 sand cats in captivity in the United States.
The extirpation of the sand cat from Israel - along with the fact that the cat is threatened throughout its range - led the Jerusalem Zoo to begin a reintroduction project for the species. An acclimatization enclosure was built, using money from the Zoo's Prof. Shulov Fund for the Study of Animals in Captivity, at Kibbutz Lotan's Bird Reserve in the Arava Desert. Following construction of the enclosure, the first individuals were transferred for acclimatization, and shortly afterwards were released into the wild. The tracking of these cats after their release will be conducted by the Creative Ecology staff at Kibbutz Lotan, and by Israel Nature and National Parks Protection Authority (INNPPA) rangers.