Meet Soran H. Ahmed

Soran H. Ahmed is a wildlife researcher specializing in wildlife biodiversity and conservation. He has been studying wildlife since 2017 and has published dozens of international research papers in this field. He has worked with local and international universities, NGOs, experts, local communities, and governmental authorities to conserve biodiversity in the KRI by raising awareness, education, conducting scientific research, combating the impacts of climate change, habitat restoration, and fostering a passion for wildlife. Currently, he is working to promote biodiversity conservation through sustainable wildlife ecotourism, with a strong focus on engaging, supporting, and benefiting local communities.

1. Wildlife water source management and monitoring

Soran actively collaborates with local communities, NGOs, and environmentalists to provide and manage water sources for wildlife during the dry season. This work includes cleaning natural water sources and monitoring them with camera traps for research, awareness, and to help reduce hunting.

Around 20 mammalian species, 70 birds, 15 herpetofauna, and plenty of invertebrates took advantages from this water source managed in collaboration with local communities in Bamo Mountain. Video: Soran H. Ahmed & Soma I. Majeed

2. Recovering and conserving Zagros Mountains oak forests

Soran takes every opportunity to support wildlife recovery by conserving and regenerating the natural mixed oak forests of the Zagros Mountains. His activities include planting native seeds, helping combat wildfires through direct action and fundraising for firefighting equipment, and raising awareness about the importance and conservation of mixed oak forests.

Oak sapling planted as part of the Recovering the Wild project, funded by National Geographic in collaboration with BGCI and the Kurdistan Botanical Foundation. Photo: Soran H. Ahmed

Oak sapling planted as part of the Recovering the Wild project and protection of the locally rare Caucasian oak Quercus macranthera funded by National Geographic in collaboration with BGCI and the Kurdistan Botanical Foundation. Photo: Soran H. Ahmed

Fundraising to provide firefighting blowers and train local communities and relevant government agencies to use them to control forest fires. Photo: Soran H. Ahmed

3. Raising awareness (Presentation, Teaching & Social Media): Soran works to spread passion for wildlife and conservation through presentations, teaching, and social media platforms.

YouTube: Soran H. Ahmed        Instagram: Soran H. Ahmed          LinkedIn: Soran H. Ahmed 

4. Research Activity: 

Google Scholar: Soran H. Ahmed   

ResearchGate: Soran H. Ahmed

Books

-Jablonski, D., Ahmed, S. H., Ararat, K., Majeed, S. I., Ahmad, S. A. (2025). Snakes of the Kurdistan Region of Iraq. Edition Chimaira, Frankfurt am Main, Germany: 352 pp. (in English & Kurdish).

-Ahmed, S. H. & Majeed, S. I. (2026). Mammals of Bamo-Khoshk Mountain. American University of Iraq-Sulaimani. ISBN: 9789922900735 . 76 PP. (in English & Kurdish).

Journal Papers 

 2026
-Ahmed, S. H. & Majeed, S. I. (2026). Breeding record of the Persian leopard from the Kurdistan Region of Iraq . Cat News, 86, 14–16.

-Al-Sheikhly, O. F., Ahmed, S. H., Ararat, K., Ali, M. A., & Ali, A. A. (2026). Two Flycatchers New to Iraq’s Avifauna. Jordan Journal of Natural History, 13(1), 27–33. 

-Majeed, K. A., Khwarahm, N. R., Ahmed, S. H. & Al-Sheikhly, O. F. (2026). Assessing the current and future habitat suitability of the endangered Syrian brown bear in Iraq’s Kurdistan Region under climate change scenarios. Journal for Nature Conservation 92, 127229. 

2025
-Ameen, S . M., Hassan P. B., Ahmed, S. H., Ameen M. S. S., Hamad S. H. & Omer K. M. 2025. Exploring the novel paper wasp (Parapolybia escalerae) honey for green synthesis of silver nanoparticles with antibacterial properties. Scientific Reports 15, 34171.

-Jablonski, D & Ahmed, S. H. (2025). Unusual defensive behaviour combination recorded in Bufotes viridis (Laurenti, 1768). Herpetology Notes 18, 793–795.

-Al-Sheikhly, O. F., Ahmed, S. H., Ararat, K., Abdulzahra, H. K., Böhme, W., Jablonski, D. (2025). First documented record of Pseudocerastes persicus (Duméril, Bibron & Duméril, 1854) (Squamata, Viperidae) from Iraq. Check List, 21 (3), 635–639.

2024
-Ahmed, S. H. & Majeed, S. I. (2024). New record of a rare robber fly Stiphrolamyra pleskei (Becker, 1913) (Diptera: Asilidae: Asilinae) for Kurdistan, Iraq . Zootaxa, 5543(1), 141–144.

-Ahmed, S. H., Krupitsky, A. V., & Majeed, S. I. (2024). Two lycaenid butterfly species (Lepidoptera: Lycaenidae) recorded as new for the fauna of Iraq. Zootaxa, 5537(1), 147–150. 

-Ahmed, S. H., Ararat, K., & Al-Sheikhly, O. F. (2024). New localities with first breeding record of the Eurasian lynx in Kurdistan Region, Iraq. Cat News, 80, 12–13.

-Jablonski, D. & Ahmed, S. H. (2024). The first record of the rarely observed rat snake, Elaphe urartica Jablonski et al., 2019 (Squamata, Colubridae) for Iraq. Herpetozoa, 37, 73–76. 

-Al-Sheikhly, O. F., Ahmed, S. H., Majeed, S. I., Kryštufek, B., Yusefi, G. H., & Ararat, K. (2024). Brandt’s Hedgehog, Paraechinus hypomelas (Brandt, 1836), new to the mammal fauna of Iraq. Mammalia, 88(2), 133-138. 

2023
-Böhme, W., Ahmed, S. H., Al-Sheikhly, O. F., Ararat, K., Auer, M., Khudur, F. A., & Langner, C. (2023). Desert Monitor Lizards (Squamata: Varanidae: Varanus: Psammosaurus) from the Middle East: Further Records of Nesterov’s Desert Monitor, Varanus (P.) nesterovi Böhme, Ehrlich, Milto, Orlov et Scholz, 2015, from Iraq, and Adjacent Localities of Varanus (P.) g. griseus (Daudin, 1803) and Varanus (P.) g. caspius (Eichwald, 1831), with Comments on Biogeography and Taxonomy. Russian Journal of Herpetology, 30(6), 518–528. 

-Majeed, K. A., Khwarahm, N. R., & Ahmed, S. H. (2023). Predicting the geographical distribution of the Persian leopard, Panthera pardus tulliana, a rare and endangered species. Journal for Nature Conservation, 76, 126505. 

-Jablonski, D., & Ahmed, S. H. (2023). Re-evaluating first impressions: Melanism in Hemorrhois nummifer (Reuss, 1834) from Kurdistan Region, Iraq. Zoology in the Middle East, 69(3), 243–247. 

Ahmed, S. H., & Ali, W. K. (2023). Antimicrobial Activities of Thirteen Insect Species Crude Body Extract Against Some Microbial Pathogens. Zanco Journal of Pure and Applied Sciences, 35(2), 153–159. 

Ahmed, S. H., & Majeed, S. I. (2023). Population estimate and conservation status of the Persian Leopard, Panthera pardus tulliana, in the Bamo and Khoshk Mountains in Kurdistan Region, northern Iraq. Zoology in the Middle East, 69(2), 79–86. 

Ali, W. K., Ameen, S. M., & Ahmed, S. H. (2023). New Record and Observations of Parapolybia escalerae (Meade-Waldo, 1911)(Hymenoptera: Vespidae: Polistinae) in Kurdistan, Iraq. Zootaxa, 5230(1), 97–100. 

2022
Al-Sheikhly, O., Ararat, K., & Ahmed, S. H. (2022). New records for the first time in six decades of the Vulnerable Marbled Polecat Vormela peregusna in Iraq. Small Carnivore Conservation, 60. 

2021
Lupoli, R., Ahmed, S. H., Ahmad, S. A., & Ararat, K. (2021). First record of Graphosoma melanoxanthum Horváth, 1903 (Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Pentatomidae) in Kurdistan Iraq. Heteroptera Poloniae – Acta Faunistica (15), 139–140.

Ahmed, S. H., & Al-Sheikhly, O. F. (2021). First record of Blanford’s Fox Vulpes cana (Blanford, 1877) from Iraq. Mammalia, 85(5), 412-416. 

-Böhme , W., Ahmes S. A.,Abdulzahra, H. K., Ararat, K., Haba, M.K., Ahmed, S. H.,  Al-Sheikhly, O. F. (2021) First definite records of two snake species (Squamata: Serpentes: Colubridae et Viperidae) new for Iraq. Sauria 43(4), 86–92. 

2020
-Ahmed, S. H., & Majeed, S. I. (2020). Monitoring of the wild mammal fauna in Bamo Mountain in northern Iraq (Kurdistan) for the first time using camera trap method and raising awareness for its conservation. Bulletin of the Iraq Natural History Museum (P-ISSN: 1017-8678, E-ISSN: 2311-9799), 16(2), 161–172. 

-Khudhur, F. A., & Ahmed, S. H. (2020). New distribution records of the genus Saga Charpentier, 1825 (Orthoptera: Tettigoniidae: Saginae) from Iraq. Zootaxa, (2) 4894.

-Khudhur, F. A., & Ahmed, S. H. (2020). Perisomena caecigena (Kupido, 1825) in Sulaymaniyah, a saturniid moth new to Iraq (Lepidoptera: Saturniidae). Zoology in the Middle East, 66(4), 375–376. 

Al-Sheikhly, O. F. & Ahmed, S. H. (2020). A rare observation of a wild goat Capra aegagrus with unusual coat-colour in northern Iraq (Kurdistan). Caprinae News 1/2020: 12-13.