“A Miracle” – For first time in 50 years, leopard is spotted in Armenia’s Tavush province

YEREVAN, MAY 7, ARMENPRESS. Surveillance cameras of the WWF Armenia (World Wide Fund for Nature) have captured images of a leopard in the territory of Yenokavan, Tavush province, marking the first time in 50 years that the majestic animal known as the King of the Armenian Mountains is making an appearance in the area.

Earlier in November 2019, a villager from Yenokavan had claimed to have survived a leopard attack. Samples were taken from the villager’s clothes for lab tests to validate the claim, but a German lab result refuted it with 99% accuracy. Fieldwork also failed to find any proof.

However, WWF Armenia experts continued following the claims of the man, Arman Gabrieyan, and resumed fieldwork. As a result, more surveillance cameras were installed.

“Arman Gabrielyan himself showed great support in the studies, as well as other Yenokavan residents, and the Apaga Resort company”, WWF Armenia said.

Finally, the cameras captured breathtaking images of the Leopard.

“We can note that after a 50-year pause, the leopard has returned to Tavush Province. The last time the leopard was spotted in the area was in the 1970s. Tavush became the fourth province in Armenia to be home to leopards”, WWF said.

“This is a real miracle,” said WWF Armenia chief Karen Manvelyan. “Because the initial lab tests gave us only 1% probability that the samples were from a leopard. Studies will continue because it is already obvious that another level of conservation isrequired to be implemented in the area”, he said.

The WWF and the Armenian environment ministry are jointly implemented the leopard conservation program since 2002.

Currently, the Caucasian Leopard – whose natural habitat is the Armenian Mountain Range – is listed in the Endangered Animal Book of Armenia. There are about 10 leopards in Armenia.

Editing and Translating by Stepan Kocharyan