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A Family of the Persian Leopard in Sarigol National Park
March 2006- A family of the
Persian leopard was pictured during the camera trapping survey in Sarigol
National Park, Northeastern Iran. The family is composed of a female in
companion of her adolescent cub, seemingly around 1 year old which is the
first record of the Persian leopard with cub. The leopards have passed in
front of the camera at 8:30 AM inside one of the main Urial sheep habitats
in the Park.
A few times, game guards had encountered 2 leopards that were quite
distinctive in their size, supposing to be 2 male and female at the age of 2
years, but these pictures indicate that they are a family of a mother and
her cub. Their dense and long fur in snow resembles them to the snow
leopards rather than the Persian leopard!!! Unfortunately, it is not clear
why the pictures are so flow, probably due to dew drops on the camera box
screen.
During the past 8 months, the animals were tracked in different parts of the
park to obtain a preliminary perception about the leopards home ranges. It
is interesting that both the above famly and the previously pictured huge
male (read
the full story) occur at the same
time and place. Moreover, another young leopard is also patrolling through
this area. The surveys have
revealed that at least five leopards live in the park which 4 of them have
been pictured, however as a basic estimation, it seems that the park holds
at least 10 leopards. Analysis of more than 120 leopard scats has revealed
that the animal primarily feeds on Urial sheep beside wild boar, wild goat,
pika, domestic horse, domestic sheep, herd dog, chukar partridge and
rodents.
Since February 2005, a team of ICS young biologists have initiated a
mid-term research project in Sarigol National Park, northeastern Iran in
order to obtain data about the leopard ecology and population status.
Despite of its vast distribution throughout the country, the animal is quite
unknown and it is necessary to conduct similar surveys inside other leopard
habitats.
