Anatolian Leopard spotted in camera trap once again

ISTANBUL

The Turkish Agriculture and Forestry Ministry has shared new photos of an Anatolian leopard, which is an endangered leopard subspecies of Iranian Pars and was filmed last May after nearly five decades.

The Anatolian leopard thought to be extinct in Türkiye was caught once again by a camera trap.

The ministry posted the photos with a note that read, “May your generation increase, may you always exist in this land.”

“We once again photographed the Anatolian leopard, whose existence has been proved in our country. We will continue to monitor the Anatolian leopard,” the ministry added.

The existence of Anatolian leopard turned a myth in Türkiye as the Anatolian leopard killed in capital Ankara in 1974 was thought to be the last one of this species in the country.

On Aug. 25, 2019, the authorities found the traces of a male leopard.

Following the notifications to the Directorate of Nature Conservation and National Parks, this leopard species were spotted in four different locations.

A “Leopard Research Unit” was established to identify existing and potential habitats.

The directorate also conducted a study to search for traces, determine the breeds of the animals by interviewing the local people and find leopards for pocreation.

Anatolian Pars is a subspecies of Iranian Pars living in Anatolia. French zoologist M.A. Valenciennes was the first person to give this endangered species a scientific name in 1856.

In 2019, a zoologist published three black and white photos, alleging that the animal seen in the photos was an “Anatolian Leopard,” but scientists doubted the claim as the photos were nebulous and the animal was hard to detect.