QUETTA: A pair of rare and endangered Persian leopards was spotted for the first time at Quetta’s Chiltan National Park, said Sharifuddin Baloch, Chief Conservator, Forests and Wildlife Balochistan.
Baloch told media the endangered pair of rare leopards was spotted by the Forest Department guards at Chiltan Park who had immediately captured their image. “The images of the rare cats called “Persian Leopards”, whose habitat was mostly from Iran to Central Asia, were shared by the department”, he added.
Chief Conservator said that the pair of leopards was filmed after the efforts of six months. He said that the team started to search the pair of leopards after fighting footprints at Mount Chiltan.
These leopards prefer to live in long and difficult valleys rather than deserts. Baloch said that the Persian leopard is a rare species of the big cat family, which is endangered.
The Persian Leopard, is one of the biggest of the eight recognized sub species of leopard. All the leopards have stocky bodies with comparatively short legs; their total body length (including tail) can be up to 190cm and their weight up to 70kg.
Coats have a range of base colors from yellow to golden brown with paler fur under the chin and across the belly. They have black spots on the head, limbs and belly and spots arranged in rosettes across the back and flanks. Their spots give unique coat patterns which can be used to identify individuals.
Hazarganji Chiltan National Park is located about 20km southwest of Quetta and covers an area of 27,421 hectares. It administratively falls within the boundaries of two districts — Quetta and Mastung.
The park is home to the endangered markhor and mountain goats’ species, according to the chief conservator of wildlife, along with 106 species of birds, 18 species of mammals, and 125 different species of plants living there.
Read more: PNCA observed Hazara Culture Day
