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First hard evidence of leopard in Nakhchivan

Authors:
Batur Avgan
Batur Avgan
Tariyel Huseynali Talibov
Tariyel Huseynali Talibov
Abbas Hacı İsmayılov at Azərbaycan Dövlət Aqrar Universitetinin Biotexnologiya Mərkəzi
Abbas Hacı İsmayılov
  • Azərbaycan Dövlət Aqrar Universitetinin Biotexnologiya Mərkəzi
PARVIZ FATULLAYEV
PARVIZ FATULLAYEV
PARVIZ FATULLAYEV
  • This person is not on ResearchGate, or hasn't claimed this research yet.
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Abstract and Figures

We have carried out a baseline survey in Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic, Azer-baijan, in order to reveal the status of the Persian leopard Panthera pardus saxi-color, assess human attitudes towards the species and increase local capacity in wildlife monitoring techniques. On 9 September 2012, one of our camera-traps took a photo of a leopard at Zangezur National Park, approximately 1.5 km from the Iranian border.
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ISSN 1027-2992
CAT
news
N° 57 | AUTUMN 2012
CATnews 57 Autumn 2012
02
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CATnews 57 Autumn 2012
BATUR AVGAN1, TALIBOV TARIYEL HUSEYNALI2, ABBAS ISMAYILOV2, PARVIZ FATULLAYEV2,
ELSHAD ASKEROV3 AND URS BREITENMOSER4
First hard evidence of leopard
in Nakhchivan
We have carried out a baseline survey in Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic, Azer-
baijan, in order to reveal the status of the Persian leopard Panthera pardus saxi-
color, assess human attitudes towards the species and increase local capacity
in wildlife monitoring techniques. On 9 September 2012, one of our camera-traps
took a photo of a leopard at Zangezur National Park, approximately 1.5 km from the
Iranian border.
The leopard in the Caucasus Ecoregion is con-
sidered Critically Endangered (Zazanashvili et
al. 2007, Breitenmoser et al. 2007, Khorozyan
et al. 2008, Lukarevsky et al. 2007). While it
was estimated that less than 15 individuals
are left at the Greater Caucasus (Dagestan
and Ossetia), and up to 50 in Lesser Caucasus
including NW Iran, these estimations may
even be too optimistic. Opportunistic surveys
since 2001 have confirm-ed the occasional
presence of the species in several isolated
locations scattered over the Caucasus, but
never after 2007. Today, reproducing popu-
lations are known only in northwestern Iran
(Breitenmoser et al. 2010).
Bordering with northwestern Iran along Aras
River, Nakhchivan has not been surveyed pre-
viously. In 1990, a person was attacked on a
mountain trail by a leopard in Zangezur NP.
We were able to confirm this incident based
on an interview with an eyewitness, who was
with the person at that moment, and also
from the signs of injuries on the person’s body.
Although fresh scats and tracks of leopards
were found in Nakhchivan’s Zangezur Ridge
and in Negramdag Mountains by Lukarevsky
et al. (2007), the status of the species could
not be clarified by reliable survey techniques
(i.e. camera-trapping), as such capacity was
lacking. We have carried out a baseline sur-
vey in Nakhchivan in order to reveal the sta-
tus of the leopard, assess human attitudes to-
wards the species and increase local capacity
on wildlife monitoring techniques.
Camera-trapping surveys were done bet-
ween 9 October 2011 and 3 October 2012,
at Zangezur National Park, Ordubad Sanc-
tuary and Negramdag Mountains for a total
of 2,884 camera-trap days at 46 stations. On
9 September 2012, one of our camera-traps
took a photo of a leopard at Zangezur NP,
approximately 1.5 km from the Iranian bor-
der (38˚52.489'N/046˚06.414’E, 1,310 m; Fig.
1.). The position of the leopard in the photo
showed that the individual had no scrotum
and therefore was a female.
Bezoar goat Capra aegagrus accounted for
49% of the species pictured in the survey and
is the most likely prey for leopard in Nakh-
chivan. Wild boar Sus scrofa however was
one of the least photographed species and
detected only at one trap-station located in a
forested area at Batabat in the northern part
of Zangezur NP where we have also photo-
graphed Eurasian lynx Lynx lynx.
While the Eurasian lynx has been observed
many times by all the shepherds inter-
viewed (n = 8), the leopard is considered a
mysterious species by people. Three of the
shepherds claimed to have seen leopard in
the last 10 years, two of which in Zangezur
NP and one in Negramdag Mountains, four
however did not believe that leopards live
in their region. It is known that local people,
especially the shepherds, regularly observe
large cats when the species have a resi-
dent population in their area, as with lynx in
Nakhchivan.
The leopard photographed was a female,
which are not known as long-range disper-
sers as the males. Therefore we assume that
a reproducing population is nearby. However,
given that we photographed the leopard only
once in our survey and it is not a well known
species even in the countryside by local peo-
ple, we believe that this leopard population
may not be in Nakhchivan, but in Iran. Ne-
vertheless, our survey clarified that the leo-
pards at least use Nakhchivan and therefore
the area is important for the future survival
of the species in the Caucasus. Additionally,
two biologists have been trained in camera-
trapping techniques and are able to carry out
further surveys in the country.
Acknowledgements
We would like to thank the Mohamed bin Zayed
Species Conservation Fund for funding our re-
search. We also would like to thank Reza Masoud
for sharing his information on leopard in Iran, and
also Ismail Hacıyev, the director of Nakhchivan
Branch of Azerbaijan National Academy of Scien-
ces for his aid and logistic support to our research
in Nakhchivan.
References
Breitenmoser Ch., Breitenmoser U., Mallon D. and
Zazanashvili N. 2007. Strategy for the Conser-
vation of the Leopard in the Caucasus Ecoregi-
on. Tbilisi, 26 pp.
Breitenmoser U., Breitenmoser Ch. and Mallon D.
2010. Conservation of the Leopard in the Cau-
casus. Istanbul, 6 pp.
Khorozyan G., Malkhasyan A. G. and Abramov
A. V. 2008. Presence-absence surveys of prey
and their use in predicting leopard (Panthera
pardus) densities: a case study from Armenia.
Integrative Zoology 3, 322-332.
Lukarevsky V., Akkiev M., Askerov E., Agili A., Can
E., Gurielidze Z., Kudaktin A. N., Malkhasyan
A. and Yarovenko Y. A. 2007. Status of the
Leopard in the Caucasus. Cat News, Special
Issue No. 2, 15-21.
Zazanashvili N., Askerov E., Manvelyan M., Krever
V., Farvar T., Kalem S. and Mörschel F. 2007.
Conservation of the Leopard in the Caucasus.
Cat News, Special Issue No. 2, 4-8.
1 Wildlife Research Society, Turkey
<baturoo@yahoo.com>
2 Institute of Bioresources, Nakhchivan Branch
of Azerbaijan National Academy of Sciences
3 WWF-Azerbaijan
4 IUCN/SSC Cat Specialist Group, c/o KORA,
Switzerland
Fig 1. Female leopard in Nakhchivan.
33
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... Based on the confirmed presence of leopard in the protected areas in north-western Iran, a survey by means of camera trapping was initiated in Zangezur Mountains in the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic of Azerbaijan in 2012 [37] . On 9 September 2012, a female leopard was pictured ( Fig. 3.5), and since then, many more leopard pictures and video clips have been taken in this region, both in Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic and adjacent southern Armenia [33] . ...
... The connection between the last reproducing group in the Lesser Caucasus in Kiamaky Wildlife Refuge and the southern population in the Zagros Mountains is however most likely interrupted; there is no recent evidence for leopards immigrating from the south into the Caucasus through corridors. (source: Avgan et al. 2012 [37] ). ...
... The Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) has 3 main objectives: (1) the conservation of biological diversity, four biologists from the institute of bioresources, nakhchivan branch of the azerbaijan national academy of Sciences were trained in camera trapping in 2011 in a joint WWf, Kora and the iUcn/SSc cat Specialist Group project [37] . these biologists are currently carrying out surveys in nakhchivan autonomous republic for WWf-azerbaijan. ...
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... Records of leopard occurrence indicated that breeding populations exist in both main landscapes, and are already substantially encompassed within the existing network of CAs. In contrast, no evidence of leopard reproduction has been reported from beyond Iran within the broader Caucasus since the late 1990s (Lukarevsky et al., 2004; CLWG, 2014) despite multiple records of adult females in southern Azerbaijan (Avgan et al., 2012;Askerov et al., 2015). ...
... What is new in our model is the conclusion that even Iran's boundary population is unlikely to remain viable without the critical connection with Alborz, through the Talysh Mountains within the extreme southeast of Azerbaijan (Zimmermann et al., 2007) where leopards are confirmed to exist (Askerov et al., 2015). Furthermore, recent records in Azerbaijan and Armenia are predominantly near the Iranian border (Khorozyan et al., 2008;Avgan et al., 2012;Askerov et al., 2015), again emphasizing the importance of transboundary cooperation between Iran and its northwestern neighbors. ...
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... Since 2005, WWF-Azerbaijan conducts large-scale leopard and prey monitoring by camera-trapping and faecal DNA analysis within the WWF regional leopard conservation programme. The most reliable and numerous evidence (C1) comes from intensive camera-trapping (Avgan et al. 2012, Askerov et al. 2015, Spassov et al. 2019), but several confirmed cases of leopard killings by people in the Talysh Mountains are also documented. The C2 records are originated from the same districts as C1, as well as from the neighbouring Jalilabad and Julfa districts and from Ilisu Reserve, and include a sighting, tracks, a livestock kill and a prey kill. ...
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Full-text available
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... Marakan Protected Area PA and Ki� amaky Wildlife Reserve (now part of Kantal NP, a designated trans�oundary peace park), where known to host resident, reproducing leopards (R. Masoud, pers. comm., Avgan et al. 2012, Moqanaki et al. 2013). In the protected areas north of the �order, namely Zangezur NP in Nakhchyvan and Arevik NP in Armenia (Fig. 2), the presence of leopard females (Askerov et al. 2015) and su�sequent reproduction (Amina Nazarli 30.11.2016) was o�served recently. ...
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The report attempts to compile and analyze all existing data on leopards and their conservation in the Caucasus in the Caucasus creating the sound basis for the development of leopard conservation strategy for the entire region. The leopard was identified as top priority species by the Ecoregion Conservation Plan, a key strategic document for biodiversity conservation in the region. Information on leopards before year 2000 has mainly been based on indirect evidences (tracks, skins). No scientific research on direct conservation actions has been carried out during that time. Despite the fact that leopards indirectly benefited from the establishment of protected areas, they have been directly persecuted. As a result, their number have been dramatically reduced. Beginning in 2001, WWF has started to systematically investigate the status of leopards in the Caucasus through surveys and field monitoring. Additionally, urgent conservation measures have been implemented. This work not only improved situation for the leopard but also managed to shift public opinion and perception. The leopard has become a symbol for cooperation among the Caucasus countries because this wide-ranging cat can not be saved by one country alone.
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Presence-absence surveys of prey and their use in predicting leopard (Panthera pardus) densities: a case study from Armenia
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It is important to predict how many individuals of a predator species can survive in a given area on the basis of prey sufficiency and to compare predictive estimates with actual numbers to understand whether or not key threats are related to prey availability. Rugged terrain and low detection probabilities do not allow for the use of traditional prey count techniques in mountain areas. We used presence–absence occupancy modeling and camera-trapping to estimate the abundance and densities of prey species and regression analysis to predict leopard (Panthera pardus) densities from estimated prey biomass in the mountains of the Nuvadi area, Meghri Ridge, southern Armenia. The prey densities were 12.94 ± 2.18 individuals km–2 for the bezoar goat (Capra aegagrus), 6.88 ± 1.56 for the wild boar (Sus scrofa) and 0.44 ± 0.20 for the roe deer (Capreolus capreolus). The detection probability of the prey was a strong function of the activity patterns, and was highest in diurnal bezoar goats (0.59 ± 0.09). Based on robust regression, the estimated total ungulate prey biomass (720.37 ± 142.72 kg km–2) can support a leopard density of 7.18 ± 3.06 individuals 100 km–2. The actual leopard density is only 0.34 individuals 100 km–2 (i.e. one subadult male recorded over the 296.9 km2), estimated from tracking and camera-trapping. The most plausible explanation for this discrepancy between predicted and actual leopard density is that poaching and disturbance caused by livestock breeding, plant gathering, deforestation and human-induced wild fires are affecting the leopard population in Armenia.
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Strategy for the Conservation of the Leopard in the Caucasus Ecoregion
  • Jan 2007
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Breitenmoser Ch., Breitenmoser U., Mallon D. and Zazanashvili N. 2007. Strategy for the Conservation of the Leopard in the Caucasus Ecoregion. Tbilisi, 26 pp.