The Persian leopard, one of the world’s most endangered felines with an estimated population of only about 1,000 individuals globally, has been spotted in the Oust-Ourt Nature Park in Kazakhstan. This rare event marks a significant milestone for conservation efforts in the region.
Between late October and December 2024, a Persian leopard was captured on camera traps four times, according to the Kazakh Committee for Forestry and Wildlife. This sighting is particularly notable as the presence of this species in Kazakhstan had been uncertain.
Classified as 'endangered' by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), the Persian leopard faces continuous population decline due to poaching, habitat destruction, and lack of prey. The IUCN estimates its global population to be between 750 and 1,044, with only a handful remaining in Kazakhstan.
Park representatives celebrated the sighting as a symbol of ecosystem restoration in Oust-Ourt, emphasizing the importance of this area as a habitat for the critically endangered species.
In response to environmental challenges, Kazakh authorities are also working to protect and reintroduce other threatened endemic species, including the snow leopard and the Saiga antelope. As of late December, the Ministry of Environment reported a doubling in the snow leopard population over three decades, reinforcing the commitment to biodiversity conservation in Kazakhstan.