The Krasnodar Journal, Sochi in Krasnodar region.
Two leopards from Ashkhabad in Turkmenistan are recovering after a long flight and car ride to their new homes in a national park near the city of Sochi in Russia, as part of efforts to reintroduce the species into the Caucasus region.
The leopards were moved into spacious pens in Sochi National Park in southwestern (Krasnodar region) Russia as part of a species reintroduction programme implemented by WWF and the Russian government.
Upon arrival in Sochi, the leopards were met by WWF, park staff and Prime Minister Putin and then released into large pens inside a center created for them in the park.
Caucasian Ecology
Wikipedia: The Caucasus is an area of great ecological importance. It harbors some 6400 species of higher plants, 1600 of which are recognized as endemic to the region.
Its wildlife includes leopards, brown bears, wolves, European bisons, marals, golden eagles and Hooded Crows. Among invertebrates, some 1000 spider species are recorded in the Caucasus.
The Western Caucasus is the place of origin and of reintroduction of the Caucasian Wisent. The last wild wisent in the world was killed by poachers here in 1927. The area also includes the Sochi National Park.
Among dog breeders Caucasus Mountains are noted for the Ovcharka - the Caucasian Shepherd Dog that is popular in Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia and Southern Russia.
Persian Leopard
The Persian leopard is one of the largest of all the subspecies of leopards in the world. It can stand up to 76 cm tall at the shoulder and weigh as much as 70.3 kg.
It is endangered throughout its range up to the Middle East and is classified as Endangered on the IUCN Red List. There are currently a few hundred left in the world.
It is found in Iran, Azerbaijan, Turkey, Georgia, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan,Pakistan, Tajikistan and Afghanistan. Habitat varies from mountain steppe to grasslands, or anywhere having a reasonable amount of cover and a supply of prey. Unconfirmed reports of big cats in the far southeast of Armenia might also pertain to these animals.
A leopard’s diet varies depending on where it thrives. The Persian leopard’s diet varies from small mammals and birds, to larger animals such as, deer, goitered gazelle, antelope, Bezoar ibex, and occasionally wild boar.
This species is listed as endangered and commercial trade of this species is prohibited by international law. The Persian leopard has been threatened due to persecution, habitat loss, and poaching. It is also one of the animals in western Asia which is suffering from warfare in its mountain range.
The Reintroduction
Persian leopards (Panthera pardus saxicolor) used to live in the Sochi area but by the 1920s they were completely exterminated. The cats in Sochi National Park will take part in the Programme for Persian Leopard Reintroduction, developed by experts from WWF and the Russian Academy of Natural Sciences, and approved by the Russian Ministry of Natural Resources and Ecology.
“There are very few leopards in the whole of Caucasus, only a few dozen,” said Igor Chestin, WWF-Russia CEO. “They exist with the help of some inflow from Iran, which has several hundreds remaining. We want to create a new, Northern-based nucleus of the population, so that together with the Southern nucleus in Iran it can guarantee sustainability for the leopard population both in the Russian Caucasus and neighboring countries.”
The leopards from Turkmenistan will live in the Centre for breeding and rehabilitation in the Sochi national park. Only their descendants will be released into the wild in the Caucasus strict nature reserve.
“Areas for future release were carefully chosen to resemble as much as possible leopards’ habitat in Turkmenistan, both in terms of relief and prey,” said Professor Anatoly Kudaktin, programme scientific supervisor. “Conditions in the Caucasus will be even more comfortable in some ways than in Turkmenistan, and ungulate density is higher here.”
More About Persian Leopards:
- Persian Leopard on Wikipedia
- Persian Leopard Conservation Society
- Persian Leopard - Panthera Pardus Saxicolor
- Leopards will live in the suburbs of Sochi
- Conservation of leopard in the Caucasus
- Putin welcomes purrfect couple to Sochi reserve
- Persian Leopard Status And Conservation Plan In Iran’s Caucasus Eco-Region
Image: Alfred Hutter and Mistvan
Sources: WWF, Wikipedia
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