Iran's leopard image recorded for first time in Bakhtegan

Shiraz, Sept 9, IRNA- For the first time, a picture of a Leopard was recorded at the heights of National Park of Bakhtegan in Neyriz city with the help of imaging technology, Director General of the Environmental Protection Agency of Fars province Saeed Mahmoudi said. Since June of the last year, experts from the Wildlife Surveillance Authority Department had decided to install a camera trap on one of the permanent springs of the Bakhtegan National Park, where the presence of the leopard was expected according to certain signs such as scratching trees and footprints. Mahmoudi said that the presence of a leopard in this area, mating and having two cubs, indicates the region's security for the animal's life, adding, 'The rare Iranian leopard is one of the nine species of panthers of the world, which is considered the largest of them and in the Red List of the World Conservation Union is considered as endangered species. The Persian leopard is the native animal in West Asia and Iran is the most important leopard habitat in the Middle East.' Director General of the Environmental Protection Agency of Fars province stated that Last year, for the first time in the protected area of Harmud Larestan, this kind of leopard was pictured. At the same time, Mahmoudi said, 'Several Leopards have been killed in Rostam, Kazeroon, Firoozabad, Shiraz, Mohr, Arsanjan and Estahban since 2014 for various reasons, including road accidents and hunting.' Bakhtegan National Park is located in Fars province with 160,000 hectares of land in the city of Neyriz and 300 km east of Shiraz. The Bakhtegan National Park was first declared as a protected area in 1968 and then adopted as a wildlife area in 1975.