Rare Wild Cat species reappears after supposedly being extinct for 50 years

Its last sighting was in 1974. In Turkey, the Anatolian leopard, a cat species believed to be extinct, has been spotted in the country for the first time in about 50 years. The Anatolian leopard is also known as the Persian leopard, Caucasian leopard, or Panthera pardus tulliana.

The Anatolian leopard, an extremely rare cat species

Agriculture and Forestry Minister Vahit Kirçi said at a press conference on International Day for Biological Diversity in late May,as reported by local website Sabah.com:

We now know that the Anatolian leopard, one of our important species that was last seen in our country in 1974 and thought to be extinct, has started to be seen again.

The Turkish minister continued:

I would like to express my gratitude to those who have contributed to such work. This is an important development, an important activity. I think it would be very appropriate to increase the number as a variety, as a species.

But how did this most elusive of animals come to be seen again? Simply thanks to a camera with an automatic shutter release, installed in the heart of a Turkish mountain. In the images captured by the device, the feline can be briefly seen lying quietly a few steps away from the lens, as you can see for yourself below:

Last encounter in 2013

How do we know that this is an Anatolian leopard? The species has some unique characteristics that are very recognisable to specialists, with its slightly reddish-grey coat and large rosettes on the back and flanks, which diminish on the head and legs. In 2013, one of the species was spotted by a shepherd from a province in south-eastern Turkey. But the man had to shoot the animal, which attacked him.

This article has been translated from Gentside FR.

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