2 days ago
Khareef's hidden watcher: The Arabian Red Fox
Pictures by Mohammed Al Bahar al Rawas & Amardeep Singh
As the cool mists of the Khareef Dhofar Season roll across Dhofar Governorate's hills and wadis, the parched browns of southern Oman turn to lush greens. Tourists arrive for the famed monsoon, cameras drawn to waterfalls and wildflowers — but in the quieter corners, another set of watchful eyes is at work.
Arabian Red Fox pictured by Mohammed Al Bahar al Rawas
The Arabian Red Fox, a desert survivor known for its cunning and adaptability, thrives in the changing landscape. For wildlife photographers Mohammed Al Bahar al Rawas and Amardeep Singh, this shy yet resourceful predator becomes the season's most captivating subject.
A subspecies of the common red fox, the Arabian Red Fox is finely tuned to the harsh desert and semi-arid environments of the Arabian Peninsula. In Dhofar, it roams rocky hills, plains and foothills — and during Khareef Dhofar Season, finds temporary refuge in landscapes transformed by rain-fed greenery. The season's cooler air and richer vegetation also lure in prey species such as rodents, insects and birds, giving the fox more opportunities to hunt.
Arabian Red Fox picture by Mohammed Al Bahar al Rawas
Amardeep Singh, known on Instagram as @amar_clicks, has spent over 12 years in Salalah documenting its wildlife. His 2020 photograph 'The Desert Awakens', which earned recognition at the Odessos Photography Exhibition in Bulgaria, captured a fox mid-yawn at Al Razat farm. 'It took four months of patient evening visits', he recalls. 'Some days I didn't see a single one. But that yawn, that stretch — it was the moment I'd been waiting for'.
For Amardeep, the fox is special because it straddles two worlds — living near human settlements yet retaining its wild instincts. 'The rocky, sunlit backdrop with fresh Khareef greenery felt like a portrait of the season itself', he says. 'It's a raw, unguarded moment that carries the energy of survival'.
His fox images have appeared in local newspapers, the Telegraph, the Daily Star and on international wildlife pages. Most recently, the Environment Society of Oman featured his work in its 2023 and 2024 annual reports.
Amardeep notes that while many locals and tourists are aware of the fox, public education is key to preserving its habitat. Khareef Dhofar Season's popularity has brought development around natural sites such as Wadi Darbat and Ain Jarziz, increasing foot traffic, noise and disturbance. 'These changes can cause foxes to shift their movements, avoid certain areas, or become active at quieter times', he warns.
Wildphotographer Mohammed Al Bahar al Rawas
His advice for photographing wildlife in Dhofar: put the animal first. 'If your presence changes what the animal is doing, you're not photographing wildlife anymore — you're interrupting it', he says. He urges photographers to minimise disturbance, blend in, be patient and learn the species' behaviour. 'Not all beauty is meant to be touched — some is meant to be witnessed quietly'.
Mohammed Al Bahar al Rawas, who has studied the species for over a decade, says the Arabian Red Fox is one of three fox species in Oman. 'It lives in plains, valleys, sometimes ravines and even dry areas', he explains. 'It feeds on almost anything and during the mating season it digs burrows in the earth to raise its young'.
Amardeep Singh shoots with his Canon 100D having Sigma 150-600 mm lens
Mohammed Al Bahar al Rawas ( has observed that during Khareef Dhofar Season, foxes often venture closer to areas of dense vegetation and water sources — drawn by the abundance of food — but remain quick to retreat at signs of human presence.
For both men, the fox is more than just a photographic subject — it is a living emblem of Dhofar's balance between wildness and change. And in the misty hush of Khareef, its clever eyes remind visitors that the season belongs not only to the people who come to see it, but also to the creatures who call it home.
