South-Eastern Lesser Caucasus: the most important landscape for conserving the Leopard (<i>Panthera pardus</i>) in the Caucasus region (Mammalia: Felidae)

Abstract

Between January 2013 and October 2014, camera-trapping and field tracking monitoring of the Leopard (Panthera pardus) in the southern part of the Caucasus resulted in 220 photos and 26 videos depicting leopards, and 4 verified leopard scat samples identified by mtDNA analysis. Based on unique coating markings, 5-6 individuals were identified. The main reasons for the increased visibility of the leopard include the rapid establishment of new protected areas during last 10 years in the southern Caucasus, as well as a hunting ban in the Nakhchyvan Region of Azerbaijan since 2001 and anti-poaching activities conducted in southern Armenia since 2003. The South-eastern Lesser Caucasus has been identified as a priority landscape for leopard conservation in the Caucasus.