Four Iranian Leopards Ready for Life in the Wild

On Thursday, June 21, the director of the Caucasus Wildlife Center announced that four Iranian leopards raised at the rehabilitation center in the wildlife park near Sochi, Russia, are now ready to live in the wild. Experts at the center stated that two male leopards named 'Artek' and 'Elbrus' and two female leopards named 'Bagheera' and 'Volna' can now begin their natural lives in the wild of the Caucasus region. The experts have examined the reactions of these four leopards to other leopards, humans, and domestic animals. They have also analyzed their capabilities for hunting, tracking, and killing various animals. Renta Shushayteh, the director of the center, said that the behavior of these four Iranian leopards has been studied throughout their activity period, not only during the day but also in the early morning and evening hours. He added that their reactions to humans were examined under conditions where food was scarce. This way, experts were able to assess the maximum danger these animals pose to humans, as there is generally a possibility of encountering them. Renta Shushayteh stated, 'All leopards have shown a consistent reaction to avoid encounters with humans. They are ready for life in the wild and will not pose a danger even if they encounter humans.' He added that the timing and location for releasing these four leopards into the wild will be determined based on expert opinions and in accordance with the decisions of institutions involved in the Iranian leopard population restoration program. Until the mid-20th century, many Iranian leopards lived in the Caucasus region. However, since the 1950s, their population has drastically decreased, and due to human activities, they have become completely extinct in some areas. In 2005, only 10 to 15 Iranian leopards remained in the wild in Russia. That year, experts from the Russian Academy of Sciences and the Russian branch of the World Wildlife Fund developed and implemented a long-term plan to restore the population of these animals. Vladimir Putin, the President of Russia, has also been a supporter of this plan since 2009. In that year, with the support of the World Wildlife Fund, a center was established for breeding Iranian leopards in the wildlife park near Sochi. The first Iranian leopards bred at this center, named Akhun, Victoria, and Kili, were released into the wild in July 2016. Victoria died in January 2017.