IUCN / SSC Cat Specialist Group - Digital Cat Library |
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| Farhadinia, M.S.; Memarian, I.; Shahrdari, A.; Taghdisi, M.; Jafari, B.; Molazem, M.; Moghani, F.; MacDonald, D.W. | |
| Capturing an old problem Persian leopard close to the Iran-Turkmenistan border | |
| 2015 Cat News (62): 29-31 | |
A Persian leopard _Panthera pardus saxicolor_ was habitually attacking domestic animals near the village of Tazeh Ghaleh in northeastern Iran. Initially, during summer 2014, it killed mainly small livestock, before switching predominantly to herd dogs. Moreover, the leopard attacked three people. In October 2014, the villagers reported the situation to the local authorities, seeking a solution. Therefore, the Iranian Department of Environment considered live-capturing and translocation of the animal to a nearby reserve. Foot-snares were set at three locations within the village's territory. The leopard was captured on the third night, the snare had been set close to the carcass of a dog it had killed recently. The leopard was safely anaesthetised, biometrical measurements and samples taken. Its dentition indicated that the animal, a male, was old, estimated at more than 10 years. Biochemical examination of the blood sample revealed severe hepatic and renal problems. Although contingency plans for translocation had been made, as events unfolded it was concluded that the animal was not suitable for release into the wild, and should be held in captivity under intensive veterinary care. Therefore, the leopard was translocated to the Wildlife Rehabilitation Centre in Tehran. Carefully documented individual cases, such as this, illustrate vividly the practicalities of tackling human-carnivore conflict, and the need to respond adaptively as each situation unfolds. |
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