06/04/2005 On March 9,
2005 at 1:54 a.m. one of the four camera traps
set by the Armenian scientists reacted to
the Caucasian leopard on Armenia’s Megri ridge.
This is the first case of a leopard being
depicted in its natural habitat in this country.
Karen Manvelyan, the WWF-Caucasus Armenian
Office’s Director, is convinced that thanks
to WWF’s almost three-year involvement in
the Leopard Conservation Project, this animal
has now settled in this area.
"Our work here has convinced us that
there must be around 5-7 examples of these
fantastic cats in this area and we are doing
our best to protect their privacy."
Based on the considerable size of the animal
the experts assume that it should be a male,
but there have also been other conjectures.
According to Igor Khorosian, an independent
expert, the leopard’s swollen belly suggests
it could be female.
"Mating of leopards in the Caucasus
occurs in January and my field companion,
who was tracking the animal, heard its rasping
calls and later found many signs that proved
mating behaviour. So it is quite possible
that our leopard is female and it is pregnant."
