From anecdotal evidence, mid-spring has been seen as the time when Persian leopards have their “birth pulse” – a short period during which the birth rate is at a maximum. However, we just found a new family of leopards in Tandoureh, where a female is accompanied by two small cubs that appear to have been born in mid-summer. Our observations support the conclusion that in areas with distinct seasons, like Tandoureh, leopards may breed outside the birth pulse.
These small cubs, new additions to our project, follow a female who has been known to our crew since 2016. In July of that year she was photographed alone drinking water at a spring, but now, in November 2017, she has showed up with the new cubs.
Tandoureh is an exceptional breeding site for Persian leopards, with around five families detected each year by our camera traps. We are working closely with our local partners, particularly the Iran Department of the Environment, to sustain such an important hub for Persian leopards.