ALSS Persian Leopard Projects
We are pleased to inform you that: our new project concerning the Persian Leopard Habitat Restoration is launched recently for the purpose of improving the Persian leopard conservation status in Iran.
To learn more about this program visit ALSS Habitat Restoration Program.
Awarded Project:
ESTABLISHMENT OF THE LEOPARD NATIONAL MONITORING SCHEME IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE PERSIAN LEOPARD NATIONAL ACTION PLAN IN IRAN (Completed)
Starting and End Date: August 2018 - April 2021
About this project:
(CLICK FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE PROJECT)
In 2002, a study was conducted to assess the Persian leopard status in Iran for the first time which was a thesis of a bachelor degree (Sanei, 2004 and 2007). In 2016, a manuscript was published in a special issue dedicated to the cats of Iran, illustrating the results from a national survey conducted from 2007 to 2011 about the status of the Persian leopard in Iran (Sanei et al., 2016). This study had a glance on comparing the results of both aforementioned researches on the Persian leopard distribution pattern in Iran and it hypothesized that the leopard distribution in the country is in the process of splitting to two fragmented parts where it may eventually affect the subspecies persistence in the entire region of the Persian leopard range. This is particularly important since the main population of the Persian leopard is known to be existed in Iran where it can support the Persian leopard presence in the neighboring countries. The fragmentation hypothesis was then supported by Sanei et al., (2020).
This background, well elaborates the importance of conducting a systematic monitoring for the Persian leopard status in Iran which is the subject of the current project. The topic, is also highlighted in the Persian Leopard National Conservation and Management Action Plan endorsed in 2016 by the relative authorities. The current report is dedicated to the activities conducted from August 2018 to April 2021 for establishment of the Persian leopard national monitoring scheme for the first time in Iran with collaboration of various parties and stakeholders. The project includes several programs with five active working groups for community based activities, monitoring techniques, the Persian Leopard Online Portal and the related APP, documentary, advocacy and knowledge management as well as collaboration of artists to backup Local Micro Funds. Much of activities are added to the first project proposal to ensure sustainability of the project results. Creating jobs for local community in line with sustainable development and leopard monitoring objectives are well addressed in this project.
In general, 4 different types of long term monitoring programs are specifically foreseen in the Persian Leopard National Conservation and Management Action Plan in Iran which two types of them that are directly related to the Persian leopard status are particularly addressed in this project. For that reason, all activities in the current project are in relation to establish an individual reference area in a network of sites that are selected according to a probabilistic sampling procedure. Each site is referred as a “reference area” where we embark to establish the procedures to implement the monitoring techniques. This is worth mentioning that in early stages of this project and after localization of the sites following by the probability sampling processes, we realized that several additional activities are required to improve the project quality and sustainability. Similarly, a number of general activities in the early draft of the proposal were best to redesign in a more targeted context in relation to the project main objective.
General Objective:
To design and formation of an innovative monitoring structure in an individual reference area in an established network of monitoring sites to provide a platform for systematic and long term monitoring of the Persian leopard status in Iran in accordance with the Persian Leopard National Conservation and Management Action Plan
This project won the prestigious FIA award for the following topic
(CLICK TO LEARN MORE ABOUT THE AWARD DEDICATED TO THIS PROJECT):
To watch this video extracted from a live TV program concerning the Persian leopard, click HERE
PERSIAN LEOPARD DISTRIBUTION AND STATUS ASSESSMENT IN IRAN Download PDF
PARTICIPATORY PERSIAN LEOPARD MONITORING AND CONSERVATION PROGRAM IN DASHTESTAN COUNTY, BOUSHEHR PROVINCE (COMPLETED)
Together with local communities in Dashtestan County, Boushehr Province, recently (in autumn 2015) we have started the Persian leopard participatory monitoring and conservation program in one of the southernmost parts of the Persian leopard distribution range in Southwest Asia.
A very main and first step in this program was to hold an opening workshop with participants from various villages in the project site. Subsequently, a workshop was planned and held in Eram District with the main focus on: introduction to the program aims and scopes, participatory mapping of the resources in the area, learning about environmental changes across the site during the past years, identification of main problems (of local people) relating to carnivores (e.g. livestock-carnivores conflicts) and solving the problem trees. Also, as a request of local people, two rangers have been employed to stay continuously in the region to monitor the area.
Worth mentioning that the current project has been developed as a request of local communities to save the Persian leopard in this area and thus, the project activities are in progress in a very significant participatory level.
PARTICIPATORY PERSIAN LEOPARD NATIONAL ACTION PLANNING IN IRAN (COMPLETED)
Together with Department of Environment, we are in the progress of preparation of the Persian Leopard National Action Plan in Iran. We have developed an innovative model suitable for local conditions and status of the leopard in the country and the work is completely a participatory process. More news about the PLNAP will appear here..
ESTABLISHING AND EMPOWERMENT OF THE PERSIAN LEOPARD NATIONAL NETWORK IN IRAN FOR PARTICIPATORY CONSERVATION OF THE LEOPARD (COMPLETED)
Persian leopard is occurred in various provinces of Iran and its practical conservation in its natural habitats in the country is significantly related to participation of local communities in conservation efforts. Therefore, since November 2012 we embarked on establishment of a national network for participatory conservation of the Persian leopards in Iran with support from a GEF SGP project together with provincial DoE offices of Nortkh Khorasan, Boushehr, West Azarbaijan and Golestan. In the “Persian Leopard National Network” members were invited and have been registered from various provinces and regions across the country. Therefore, a great capacity has been established by bringing various related people together for the purpose of participatory research and conservation of the Persian leopards across the country. The project (SGP Project No. IRA/SGP/OP5/Y2/STAR/BD/12/02(168)) resulted in the following outputs for the first time in the country:
Establishment of the Persian Leopard Online Portal www.Persian-leopard.com (The purpose is to record leopard information across the country by the members. The portal has been endorsed by Department of Environment of Iran.)
Countrywide assessment of the Persian leopard conservation needs and priorities with regard to two issues of “habitat” and “local communities – community based programs”
Modeling of the countrywide distribution of the Persian leopard potential habitats in Iran and identification of critical areas.
In the next step, the current project, we are going to establish various active working groups within the Persian Leopard National Network. The subject of each working group is identified on the basis of the Persian leopard conservation needs and priorities that we assessed during the last project.
Educational workshops and practical trainings will be held to empower members of each working group for the specific targets defined for each cluster in the critical sites identified in the first project. Participatory planning for the upcoming activities of the network will be done during this project. Members will participate in conservation programs related to the Persian leopards across the country based on the plans being established in this project. However, due to the severity of the issue and the loss of number of Persian Leopards in the recent months, conservation work in the critical sites will initiate in the process of the trainings.
PHASE 1: 2012-2014
FORMATION OF AN ACTIVE NETWORK BETWEEN TECHNICAL EXPERTS AND LOCAL ACTIVIST IN SELECTED LEOPARD HABITATS FOR ESTABLISHING PRIORITIES FOR PARTICIPATORY CONSERVATION OF PERSIAN LEOPARD (Completed)
PHASE 2: 2014 - 2015
EMPOWERMENT OF THE PERSIAN LEOPARD NATIONAL NETWORK FOR PARTICIPATORY CONSERVATION OF PERSIAN LEOPARD
Second Course of the Persian Leopard Regional Workshops 2014 - Opening Ceremony Clip
ASSESSING SUITABLE PERSIAN LEOPARD HABITATS IN THE IRANIAN SECTOR OF CAUCASUS ECOREGION (COMPLETED)
DISTRIBUTION OF THE PERSIAN LEOPARD IN NORTHEASTERN IRAN IN RELATION TO HUMAN PRESSURE AND PREYS (COMPLETED)
FARMER WHO SAVED A PERSIAN LEOPARD
STATUS ASSESSMENT OF THE PERSIAN LEOPARD IN IRAN (2002-2006; 2007-2011)
STATUS ASSESSMENT OF THE PERSIAN LEOPARD IN IRAN (BOOK)
ASSESSMENT OF THE PERSIAN LEOPARD MORTALITY RATE IN IRAN (MANUSCRIPT)
PARTICIPATORY ASSESSMENT OF THE PERSIAN LEOPARD CONSERVATION PRIORITIES: HABITAT SUITABILITY AND LOCAL COMMUNITIES' AWARENESS RAISING PROGRAMS (COMPLETED)
MALAYSIAN LEOPARD PROJECT
