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Leopard Program

Leopard Program

Cooperation between Qazvin’s DOE and ICS in order to decease the Human-wildlife conflicts

by pourmir September 15, 2021
written by pourmir 1 minutes read

ICS and Qazvin’s DOE had signed an agreement in order to study the conflicts between humans and wildlife in the Tarom Sofla area. Identifying solutions and also propose management methods to decrease these conflicts are the aims of this agreement.

Persian Leopard Conservation in Tarom

Interview with local people


According to Qazvin’s DOE report, the ICS’s scientific and practical capacities were considered in solving these conflicts in the Tarom Sofla area. Identification type and impact of conflicts of wildlife on human life in the area, finding the reason for these conflicts, determine the priority of damages which were made by wildlife for human life, determine the solutions to decrease these conflicts with the help of locals and etc, are the purpose of ICS’s activity in the conservation area of the Tarom Sofla in 2021.
The conservation area of the Tarom Sofla is a good conservation habitat for Iranian leopards. Also, there are other spices like brown bear, lynx, wild goat in the area.

September 15, 2021 0 comment
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ArticlesLeopard Program

ICS study confirms transboundary leopard movements between Azerbaijan and Iran in the Caucasus

by June 20, 2018
written by 1 minutes read

Together with researchers from WWF, Iran Department of Environment and the Humboldt University of Berlin, ICS researchers have published the first confirmed evidence of transboundary leopard movements between Azerbaijan and Iran in the Caucasus Ecoregion.

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It has been speculated for a long time that Persian leopards in Azerbaijan and Armenia might be connected with leopard populations in the Iranian Caucasus, or even depend on these populations as a source for dispersing individuals. However, no confirmed evidence of leopard movements between Iran and either of these two countries had been documented. Comparing photos of a Persian leopard poached in Gilan Province of Iran with camera-trap photographs obtained 30 km away (straight-line distance) from Hirkan National Park in Azerbaijan allowed our researchers to identify this leopard. This incident supports a previous ICS study that predicted the Talysh Mountains to be a critical linkage for connecting the border landscape between Iran, Azerbaijan, and Armenia to the presumed source leopard population in the Alborz Mountains in Northern Iran.
ICS’ research on Persian leopards in the Iranian Caucasus is generously supported by World Land Trust (WLT) and Iran Department of Environment.

June 20, 2018 0 comment
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Leopard Programseminars

The latest WildTalk Seminar held

by مدیر سایت February 25, 2016
written by مدیر سایت 1 minutes read

ٰOn February 23th 2016, the 25th WildTalk Seminar was held with guest speakers from the ICS-supported Persian Leopard Project in Northeastern Iran. Running in collaboration with University of Oxford’s WildCRU, Iran Department of Environment, and Panthera, the project senior researchers discussed 10 lessons learnt from the past 3-year of this project.

Using a combination of the cutting-edge GPS-satellite telemetry, remote camera-trapping, genetic sampling, field surveys, and questionnaire surveys with local people in three different leopard reserves in northeastern Iran, the project team presented for the first time the preliminary results about: (1) spatial distribution of leopards and c-predators on this landscape using occupancy modeling; (2) density estimation of leopards in two key reserves using remotely-triggered camera traps; (3) training a team of Iranian biologist for all procedures of trapping and handling leopards for fitting GPS collars; (4) movement ecology and spatial distribution of leopards using GPS-satellite collars; (5) fine-scale feeding ecology of Persian leopards; (6) Transboundary dispersal of leopards between Iran and Turkmenistan; (7) Intraspecific competition between and killing of Persian leopards; (8) facilitating co-existence between local people and leopards; (9) creating a specialist a rescue team for leopards; and (10) awareness campaign and environmental education focusing on the Endangered Persian leopards.

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latest WildTalk
latest WildTalk
latest WildTalk
February 25, 2016 0 comment
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Leopard Program

A leopard calendar for people living with leopards

by مدیر سایت February 16, 2016
written by مدیر سایت 1 minutes read

In collaboration with ICS, the Persian Leopard Project in Northeastern Iran has designed and produced a leopard wall calendar for the coming Persian New Year 1395 (starting on March 10th 2016). Supported by more than 40 private donors and friends of ICS, this calendar is going to be distributed in several villages located with or in periphery of key leopard reserves in northeastern Iran where the project team works, including Tandoureh National Park (Razavi Khorasan Province), Salouk and Sarigol National Parks (both in North Khorasan Province), and Ors & Sistan Protected Area (Razavi Khorasan Province).

This calendar features photo-trapped pictures of Persian leopards from the above reserves, and some basic information about aspects of biology, ecology, and status of leopards in Iran has been provided within. Besides of being a daily reminder of the passion for the leopards and their habitats, the project team hopes that this calendar can act as an environmental education tool for local communities coexisting with leopards on this landscape.

February 16, 2016 0 comment
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Leopard Program

A good season for leopard photography!

by مدیر سایت December 14, 2015
written by مدیر سایت 1 minutes read

The Persian Leopard Project in Northeastern Iran is running an intensive camera-trapping survey in several key leopard reserves. To date, more than 250 photographs of Persian leopards from 40 camera-trap locations have been obtained from Salouk and Sarigol National Parks. Researchers from the Iranian Cheetah Society (ICS) have started to analyze the data, and preliminary results suggest viable leopard populations in these two reserves. The team expects to expand this survey to new areas in spring 2016.

Led by Mohammad Farhadinia from ICS and University of Oxford’s WildCRU, and in collaboration with Iran Department of Environment (DoE), North Khorasan Provincial Office of Iran DoE, Panthera, and University of Tehran; this project seeks to answer a variety of conservation-oriented questions about the persistence of the Endangered Persian leopard in fragmented mountainous habitats in northeastern Iran. Gathering reliable information about the population status of leopards are one the key components for effective conservation planning for this endangered leopard subspecies across its range.

leopard photography
leopard photography
leopard photography
leopard photography
leopard photography
leopard photography
leopard photography
leopard photography
leopard photography
leopard photography
December 14, 2015 0 comment
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Leopard ProgramThe Persian Leopard Project in Northeastern Iran

First female Persian leopard collared in northeastern Iran

by مدیر سایت December 8, 2015
written by مدیر سایت 1 minutes read

On December 6, 2015, the first female Persian leopard was successfully captured during the Persian Leopard Project in Northeastern Iran. The project team carefully immobilized, examined and measured this 3-year-old female of about 40 kg. The team called her “Iran”, fitted her with a GPS satellite collar, and then released her.
Led by Mohammad Farhadinia from the Iranian Cheetah Society and WildCRU, and in collaboration with Iran Department of Environment, Panthera, and University of Tehran; this project seeks to answer a variety of conservation-oriented questions about the persistence of Endangered Persian leopards in fragmented mountainous habitats in a number of protected areas in northeastern Iran. Another four male Persian leopards have been previously fitted with collars during this study.

December 8, 2015 0 comment
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Leopard ProgramThe Persian Leopard Project in Northeastern Iran

Updates for the Persian Leopard Project in Northeastern Iran

by مدیر سایت December 4, 2015
written by مدیر سایت 3 minutes read

Led by Mohammad Farhadinia from the Iranian Cheetah Society and WildCRU, and in collaboration with Iran Department of Environment, Panthera, and University of Tehran; this project seeks to answer a variety of conservation-oriented questions about the persistence of Endangered Persian leopards in fragmented mountainous habitats in a number of protected areas in northeastern Iran.

One key aspect of this project is studying the movement ecology of Persian leopards on this rugged landscape. Five Persian leopards have been so far successfully fitted with cutting-edge GPS satellite collars, which are providing invaluable data about movement patterns, kill rates and social structure of Persian leopards. This information is also very important to increase our current knowledge about human-leopard interactions and leopard-livestock conflict.

Among the four male and one female leopards captured during this study, two of the male leopards have been monitored for one year and their collars have been successfully recovered.

The project team is now busy with an intensive camera-trapping survey and prey assessment in multiple reserves, in order to better understand the population dynamics of the enigmatic Persian leopards and patterns of predator-prey relationships. The project is expected to continue until 2017.

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One of the collars recovered near the leopard kill, a Persian ibex!

Kave:

Another kill belonging to one the young male leopards fitted with GPS satellite collars during this study. Wild sheep appears as one the Persian leopard’s preferred prey on this landscape.

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Map showing movement patterns of one of the male leopards which is monitoring during this project. This old male has trespassed the border between Iran and Turkmenistan for several times during the past two months.

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ICS_Leopard2

A camera-trap photograph of an unidentified male leopard within the territory of the collared male leopards.

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December 4, 2015 0 comment
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DocumentriesLeopard Program

ICS’ Persian Leopard Project aired on Dutch and Belgium TV channels

by مدیر سایت November 7, 2015
written by مدیر سایت 1 minutes read

During the Persian Leopard Project in Northeastern Iran, a new leopard was successfully radio-collared very recently . This young male, the 4th leopard that has been equipped with GPS-satellite collars in this project, was anestethsized by Jacques Kaandorp, a well-known vet from Beekse Bergen Safari Park, the Netherlands. During his 2-week stay in Iran, Jacques was accompanied by a small group of Dutch documentary makers who filmed the project. Two short episodes from this documentary was aired on Dutch and Belgium TV channels recently. You can watch the first episode in Dutch here .
Led by Mohammad Farhadinia, the Persian Leopard Project in Northeastern Iran is a collaborative conservation-based research project between University of Oxford’s WildCRU, ICS, Iran Department of the Environment, and Panthera.

ICS activities on Dutch and Belgium TV channels
ICS activities on Dutch and Belgium TV channels
ICS activities on Dutch and Belgium TV channels
ICS activities on Dutch and Belgium TV channels
November 7, 2015 0 comment
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ArticlesLeopard ProgramResearch

Leveraging trans-boundary partnerships for conservation of leopards in the Caucasus

by مدیر سایت October 25, 2015
written by مدیر سایت 1 minutes read

A new study involving the Iranian Cheetah Society (ICS) researchers shows that conservation of leopard populations in the Caucasus is tied to regional cooperation between range countries.
Published in Biological Conservation , the study reveals that suitable leopard habitats in the Iranian Caucasus are likely to be fragmented into two main patches of collectively over 20,000 km2: (1) the Alborz landscape which hosts the larger leopard nucleus and majority of breeding occurrences, and (2) the boundary landscape along borders with Republic of Azerbaijan and Armenia. Only 30% of these landscapes are officially protected. By modeling the connectivity between these two core patches in north-western Iran, the study show that persistence of the leopard population in the boundary landscape and the broader Lesser Caucasus Mountains is dependent on trans-boundary movements through southern Azerbaijan. Thus, it is a priority that international collaboration secures the leopard’s conservation in the wider landscape spanning the borders of Caucasian countries.
ICS is now launching a large-scale corridor assessment focusing in Gilan and Ardabil provinces to assess the value of protecting the proposed corridors and to delineate priority areas for range-wide leopard conservation. ICS’ findings will also be used to support a proposal that Iran Department of the Environment should grant legal protection to certain areas, and to explore opportunities for a regional cooperation between Iran and the southern Caucasus countries.
The ICS’ Caucasus leopard project in northwestern Iran is supported by Iran Department of the Environment and World Land Trust.

October 25, 2015 0 comment
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Leopard ProgramThe Persian Leopard Project in Northeastern Iran

The “Iranian” GPS-Satellite collared leopard visits Turkmenistan!

by مدیر سایت October 13, 2015
written by مدیر سایت 4 minutes read

On October 5th, 2015, one of the four male Persian leopards GPS-collared within the Persian Leopard Project in north-eastern Iran crossed Iran-Turkmenistan border. “Borzou”, an old male of over 10-years-old, has been continuously monitored since 22st of February 2015, when he was captured in Tandoureh National Park, Razavi Khorasan province. Bordou has been roaming outside the national park since September 26th, and has walked around 20 km through several villages and human development areas to reach the border with Turkmenistan.

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The yellow circle in left shows the first GPS location of Borzou in Turkmenistan that the research team received after he crossed the border (white line).

The research team led by Iranian Cheetah Society’s senior research Mohammad Farhadinia, has been closely working with local wildlife authority and decision makers during this period to minimize the risk of human-leopard interactions. There has been no claim of livestock loss or attack to human due to leopards by local people during this period. Interestingly, Borzou remained unspotted within this human-dominated landscape before crossing the border into the Turkmenistan’s Kopet Dag Mountains.

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Borzou photographed in Tandoureh National Park, northeastern Iran, before starting his journey to the nearby Turkmenistan

The Borzou’s successful dispersal to Turkmenistan is the first verifiable record of leopard movements between Iran and Turkmenistan, stressing the need for transboundary cooperation and conservation initiatives between these two countries. The research team now tries to contact Turkmen authorities to ensure Borzou’s safe journey inside this country.

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GPS locations and track lines show Borzou movement pattern around two mounths ago when he left the national park

This is not the first time that Borzou leaves its territory in TandourehNational Park. Around two months ago he left the reserve and spent 23 days in the surrounding villages, where he killed several domestic dogs and one wild ewe.

940713_borzoo-2

Remains of domestic dog killed by Borzou on the outskirts of a village in periphery of Tandoureh National Park, northeastern Iran

The Ecology and Conservation of the Persian Leopard in Northeastern Iran Project is Mohammad’s PhD with University of Oxford’s WildCRU, and is running in collaboration with the Iranian Cheetah Society, Iran Department of the Environment, Razavi Khorasan Provincial Office of Iran Department of the Environment, and Panthera.

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The yellow landmark shows location of the domestic dog killed by Borzou near a fruit orchard next to a local road to the village

October 13, 2015 0 comment
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Office: Unit 2, Number 3, Jomhouri Ave, Tehran, Tehran Province
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