An elusive Anatolian leopard, a species long thought to be extinct before one was captured on camera in 2019, was sighted again, Türkiye’s Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry announced on Monday via a social media post. Turkish researchers had managed to prove the existence of the species in four regions of Anatolia but the leopards were not found despite exhausting studies.
The ministry posted photos of the animal in a rural area and a brief video showing the animal confidently roaming the isolated landscape. Photos and video were captured with wildlife cameras known as “camera traps” set up in remote wildlife reserves. The ministry did not disclose the location in a bid to protect the species.
Though leopards have a wide array of habitats and easily available prey compared to other feline species, they are also included in the International Union for Conservation of Nature Red List of Threatened Species.
An Anatolian leopard killed in 1974 in the Beypazarı district of the capital Ankara was thought to be the last of its species in the past. Nevertheless, authorities and scientists resumed their search for the animal after findings pointed out its sustained existence. The work focused on a certain, undisclosed area, and on Aug. 25, 2019, a male Anatolian leopard was captured on a wildlife camera. Further research in the area detected another male leopard. Based on the findings, authorities are now certain the leopards are living in four different areas at least.
Following the first and subsequent findings, Türkiye has prepared an action plan for the preservation of species while a research unit was set up exclusively to track the leopards. Experts say leopards are still at risk of extinction due to a number of factors, including a population boom that causes human encroachment into their habitats, industrialization, wildfires as well as illegal hunting.
