‘No one believed it’: how a YouTube video accidentally proved Libya’s sand cat really does exist
A 2017 YouTube video by photographer Mohammed Almuntasir provided the first material evidence of the sand cat's existence in Libya. Subsequent research suggests that the region may be a significant, previously unknown stronghold for this desert-adapted species.
Why it matters
This discovery underscores the role of citizen science and digital media in wildlife conservation and biodiversity research.
A sand cat, or Felis margarita , is the world’s only felid adapted to true desert conditions. Photograph: Mohammed Almuntasir View image in fullscreen A sand cat, or Felis margarita , is the world’s only felid adapted to true desert conditions. Photograph: Mohammed Almuntasir The age of extinction Libya ‘No one believed it’: how a YouTube video accidentally proved Libya’s sand cat really does exist Wildlife photographer Mohammed Almuntasir had no idea what he had found until scientists started to get in touch
The article is a factual report on scientific discovery and wildlife conservation with no political bias.
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