Persian leopards are making a comeback in the mountains of Turkmenistan
Persian leopards are making a quiet comeback in Turkmenistan’s Kopet Dag mountains, with camera traps confirming sightings — including females with cubs — in areas where the endangered cats had disappeared for years. Fewer than 1,000 Persian leopards remain in the wild, making every confirmed breeding population significant. Turkmenistan’s political isolation has inadvertently protected habitat from industrial development, creating a rare refuge in an otherwise fragmented range. The findings underscore the importance of transboundary conservation, as leopards move freely between Turkmenistan and Iran, and suggest that reduced human pressure — even partial — can give wildlife room to recover.
