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Wildlife officials are concerned about the future of a rare leopard that has had its leg amputated after getting stuck in a trap.
The Persian leopard, also known as a Caucasian leopard, was caught in a trap in the Kurdistan region of Iraq in December last year. Residents set the trap for the animal after losing around 20 of their sheep, news agency AFP reported at the time.
Sulaiman Tameer, a vet who was called to capture the animal, estimated it had been caught in the trap for 10 days or more and had suffered blood loss, according to The Guardian.
The big cat is believed to have dragged the trap to a mountain peak before falling into a river. It was then tranquilized by Tameer.
Specialist vets were called to assess the animal's condition. It was decided that the leopard's leg would have to be amputated since the trap had caused extensive damage, including breaking the bone and tearing muscle and tendons.
The leopard, reportedly a 5- or 6-year-old 143-pound male, is said to be recovering well from its injuries—but it cannot return to the wild.
Now at a local zoo, the Persian leopard—a naturally solitary animal—spends most of its time on high alert in a dark room as it is not used to the noises and smells of the other animals kept there.
Hans Nieuwendijk, a Dutch veterinary surgeon called in to help with the animal, told The Guardian: "It's very afraid and out of that it's very, very aggressive."
It is hoped that the animal can be moved to a European facility, where it could be cared for as part of a breeding program. However, this depends on the local government in Kurdistan, which would prefer to keep the animal in its home country. Talks are ongoing.
Persian leopards are very rare, living mainly in remote, mountainous regions of Iran, Armenia, Turkmenistan, Afghanistan and Georgia. There are thought to be fewer than 1,000 left in the wild, according to the World Land Trust.
The threats they face include loss of habitat due to deforestation and over-grazing by livestock, conflict with livestock owners, and reduction of prey species through poaching.
Earlier this month, wildlife journalist Ranjeet Jadhav warned of the impact of "irresponsible" behavior by tourists after a leopard was spotted with its head stuck in a plastic jar in India.
The jar was removed and the leopard was transported to the Sanjay Gandhi National Park rescue center for further treatment.
