Carla Conti

Varainhoidon tarjoaa Osuuspankki tai OP Varainhoito Oy.

In northern Saudi Arabia, a wildlife expedition has uncovered an eerie time capsule, seven naturally mummified cheetahs hidden deep inside desert caves.

The cool, dry and stable conditions inside the caves preserve the bodies for long periods, with some specimens dating to around 130 years old and others close to 2,000.

Alongside the mummies, the team also documented skeletal remains from more than 50 other cheetahs including specimens estimated at roughly 4,000 years old suggesting the caves were used repeatedly over many generations as shelter from extreme heat.

What makes the discovery particularly valuable, though, is the DNA.

Scientists were able to sequence genomes from the preserved tissue, and the analysis indicates these Arabian specimens were closely related to the Asiatic and Northwest African cheetahs, two subspecies still alive today.

Cheetahs became locally extant on the Arabian Peninsula in the 1970s.

With so few Asiatic cheetahs left in the wild, largely confined to Iran,

The researchers say the results could help guide any future reintroduction.

Saudi Arabia has already started preparing for that possibility, breeding prey species like oryx and other antelope, and creating conservation areas.

But experts warn it would take long-term commitment, and it's still unclear how well cheetahs from another subspecies would cope in Saudi conditions.