Persian Leopard (Panthera pardus saxicolor)

[Luipaard]

Confirmed presence of Persian leopards in eastern Turkey. Excellent news!

"Pars (Panthera pardus) 20th extinct in Turkey towards the end of the century, or was thought to be extinct on the verge. However, the last 20 years pars were killed by local people from the Turkish-Iraqi border region As reported, we conducted field surveys in these areas to find out if the species survived

In 2018 and 2019, automatic shooting cameras called photo traps were installed in more than 150 locations in the provinces of Mardin, Siirt and Şırnak in southeast Turkey. We succeeded in obtaining three photos of leopards on two of these and possibly the same individual.

Photos taken in July and December 2018 and November 2019 are from two different locations on the northern slopes of Mount Cudi. Along with previous records, these observations show that a small leopard population survived in the Turkish-Iraqi border area. Mount Judi can act as a corridor for the leopards moving between Turkey, Iraq and Iran. Our records contain evidence that the leopard continues to exist in our country, as well as belonging to a living leopard in its natural environment."

*This image is copyright of its original author

*This image is copyright of its original author

*This image is copyright of its original author

Source: Camera trap records confirm the survival of the Leopard ( Panthera pardus L., 1758) in eastern Turkey (Mammalia: Felidae) & https://www.ntv.com.tr/turkiye/cudi-eteklerinde-yok-oldugu-dusunulen-anadolu-parsi-goruldu,MBap0jKmP02m8whrH4RZfw Reply