New records of the Anatolian leopard (Panthera pardus tulliana Valenciennes 1856) in Turkiye

Abstract

In this study, new records of the Anatolian leopard obtained in Turkiye after 2004 were presented. Many field studies were carried out in 37 provinces in Turkiye, from Kars in the far east to Edirne in the west, from Antalya in the south to Kastamonu in the north. Until 2013, footprints of the leopard were primarily used to indicate leopard presence, and in later studies, camera traps and thermal cameras were also used in addition to the footprints. As a result of the study, a total of 84 new records from 54 different localities were obtained from all regions except the Marmara region in Northwestern Turkiye. Most of the records were obtained from Northeastern (NE) Turkiye, where most field studies were carried out. A total of 84 new records are listed as follows; 66 footprints, 4 camera trap photos, 1 camera trap video, 3 thermal camera videos, 2 cell phone videos, 1 cell phone photo, 4 locals seen, 1 full skin, 1 death, and 1 fatal attack.