Pallas’s cat captured on camera in northern Iran mountains

A short video released on Tuesday captured a fleeting glimpse of a Persian leopard, one of Iran’s most elusive wild felines, traversing a rocky outcrop in the Zagros Mountains. The footage, recorded by a team of researchers from the Iranian Department of Environment using motion‑activated cameras, shows the animal moving silently across a narrow ledge before disappearing into dense shrubland. The sighting marks the first confirmed visual evidence of the subspecies in this region in over a decade, confirming that a small, isolated population continues to persist despite ongoing habitat fragmentation and poaching pressures.

Conservation officials said the documentation provides valuable data for ongoing population assessments and underscores the need for reinforced anti‑poaching patrols and habitat protection measures. The Persian leopard, classified as endangered by the IUCN, is estimated to number fewer than 200 individuals across its range, with Iran hosting one of the last viable strongholds. Authorities plan to expand camera‑trap networks and collaborate with local communities to mitigate human‑wildlife conflict, aiming to secure the species’ long‑term survival in the country’s rugged terrain.