IUCN / SSC Cat Specialist Group - Digital Cat Library |
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| Khorozyan, I.; Malkhasyan, A.; Asmaryan, S.G. | |
| The Persian leopard prowls its way to survival | |
| 2005 Endangered Species UPDATE (22): 51 | |
The Persian leopard _(Panthera pardus saxicolor) _is endangered throughout its distribution area in the Middle East. In this article, we briefly describe its global range and then emphasize the status, distribution, and threats in Armenia. The principal factors jeopardizing the long-term survival of the Persian leopard in Armenia are disturbance, poaching, and wildfire. Currently, the work is underway to identify and describe the coarse-scale range, fine-scale range, and the Priority Leopard Conservation Areas (PLECAs) in the country. Because the leopard distribution is spatially exclusive of inhabited human se.lements, the fine-scale range is defined as the coarse-scale one without villages and towns. The statistical information on both ranges is presented. Its comparative analysis has shown that the fine-scale range contains, with statistical significance, a smaller area of the mountain meadows and much shorter lengths of the main asphalted roads than its coarse-scale counterpart. The PLECAs are areas of permanent presence of the predator, which therefore must be granted the highest priority for conservation. The first candidates for the status of PLECAs in Armenia are identified. |
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