Anatolian leopards sighted in two distinct regions of Turkiye

TURKIYE - JANUARY 26: (----EDITORIAL USE ONLY â MANDATORY CREDIT - "TURKISH AGRICULTURE AND FORESTRY MINISTRY / HANDOUT" - NO MARKETING NO ADVERTISING CAMPAIGNS - DISTRIBUTED AS A SERVICE TO CLIENTS----) The Anatolian leopard, whose presence has already been confirmed in two regions of Turkiye, was photographed this time by a camera trap set up by the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry in Turkiye on January 26, 2023. Despite having the broadest distribution and dietary range of the 36 cat species, the leopard is listed as endangered on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) red list. In Turkiye, the Anatolian leopard was assumed to be extinct due to large-scale poaching in 1974 in Ankara's Beypazar district. However, a campaign was launched to protect and save the leopards in the country. As a result, traces left behind by the leopards were followed and some of them were spotted in the region. (Photo by Turkish Agriculture and Forestry Ministry / Handout/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)