IUCN / SSC Cat Specialist Group - Digital Cat Library |
|
||||||||||
|
||||||||||
|
|
| Khorozyan, I.G.; Abramov, A.V. | |
| The leopard, _Panthera pardus_, (Crnivora: Felidae) and its resilience to human pressure in the Caucasus | |
| 2007 Zoology in the Middle East (41): 11-24 | |
Widespread in the Caucasus until the mid-19th century, the leopard, _Panthera pardus_, has become extinct in many areas of this region but is still able to survive in some others. We have compiled a data base of 218 leopard records dated 1861-2007 throughout the Caucasus (Russian North Caucasus, Georgia, Azerbaijan and Armenia. Of these, 77 records of killings, 4 records of photo-captures (10 pictures), and 8 records of scat origin proof by faecal bile acid thinlayer chromatography were used as the most reliable indicators of the Leopard's presence. We discuss the history of the Leopard's postglacial emergence in the Caucasus, its habitats, scales of eradication, trends in leopard extermination measures and range shrinkage within the study period, in separate sections under each of the four countries of the Caucasus. All recent and current leopard records in the Caucasus arc confined to central and eastern parts of the North Caucasus, south-eastern and north-eastern Georgia, south-eastern and western parts of Azerbaijan, and south-western and southern Armenia . All these parts of the range, except far the Talysh Mts in Azerbaijan, must be connected with southern Armenia which, in its turn is linked with the much larger population in north-western Iran. The Talysh Mts stand isolated from the Caucasus Mountains and are directly linked with Iran. |
|
 |
PDF files are only accessible to Friends of the Cat Group. Joining Friends of the Cat Group gives you unlimited access and downloads in the Cat SG Library for one year, and allows you to receive our newsletter Cat News (2 regular issues per year plus special issues). More information how to join here |
(c) IUCN/SSC Cat Specialist Group ( IUCN - The World Conservation Union) |