On 25 December 2018, rangers along with staffs of Future4Leopards Foundation encountered a female Persian leopard in Tandoureh National Park. Surprisingly, unlike previous encounters, the leopard did not flee, but even approached the vehicle. (News link)
The case involved a young female Persian leopard, estimated to be younger than five found along the main trail that crosses Tandoureh National Park, in northeastern Iran. She has been regularly detected by camera traps, since 2016 inside the park.
As the leopard was looking very sick with discharge, the animal was captured and sent to Mashhad Zoo to be under veterinary control. Following a few months of tests and therapy, the animal showed signs of significant recovery and it was finally decided to be released back to her home, Tandoureh National Park.
A previous study conducted by the FLF in collaboration with University of Tehran revealed high prevalence of Canine Distemper virus among local dogs, which can be a reservoir for the virus. Thus, the leopard was initially tested for the CDV, but three independents tests had negative results.
On 11 April, the animal was translocated to the park and released back into the wild, while the event was attended by regional high ranked people as well as wildlife fans. The animal quickly left the release site and did not show any sign to sickness. In order to monitor her status, camera traps have been deployed across the park to make sure that the animal survives.
Photos: Iranian Students News Agency