Last year, a broad network of camera traps in western Turkmenistan was broadened in the hopes of better understanding the populations of an Endangered leopard subspecies.<\/p>\n
Powered by a Washington, DC conservation financier, from a country whose citizens are rarely allowed to visit Turkmenistan, the survey produced positive results.<\/p>\n
There are now an estimated 60-80 Persian (aka, Caucasian) leopards dwelling in the country\u2019s nature reserves, a growth from previous surveys, and a sign that even though the 1,000 or so members of this subspecies live in increasingly fragmented habitats, they\u2019re managing to pick and prowl their way through the 21st century.<\/p>\n
Two key areas are known to host leopards in this reclusive Central Asian country: in the Kopetdag Mountains along the border with Iran, and the Garabogazgol region, which sits along the Caspian Sea and the slim national border with Kazakhstan.<\/p>\n
Here, in the Uly-Balkan Range, an area of natural importance, 3 breeding females were recorded in the camera trap survey, a promising sign that shows the animals are recolonizing these ecosystems where conditions have improved over the last few years.<\/p>\n
Conservation X Labs, which undertook the camera trap survey, cited increased habitat protections, larger prey populations, and the long-term impact of conservation efforts as reasons for the improvement in leopard numbers.<\/p>\n
The Persian leopard is one of the largest-bodied distinct populations of leopards in the world, writes the Central Asia Times.<\/p>\n