The Nature Conservation and National Parks (DKMP) announced an administrative fine of TL 1 million ($50,000) for hunting or harming the endangered Anatolian leopard, a breed of the Persian leopard found in the Middle East and West Asia.

The DKMP, affiliated with the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, has taken an important step for the detection and protection of the endangered Anatolian leopard in the country, and prepared an action plan with camera traps in 18 provinces.

The first official images and photographs of the Anatolian leopard, which was thought to be extinct, were shot in 2019 by theDKMP in the forests of Central Anatolia, Mediterranean and Aegean regions.

Within the framework of the project, studies on the species continue. Project leader Lecturer Yasin Ünal stated that the Anatolian leopard is a valuable wild animal in terms of history, culture and biodiversity.

Though leopards have a wide array of habitats and have an easy access to prey compared to other feline species, they are also included in the International Union for Conservation of Nature's Red List of Threatened Species.

Explaining that in many provinces such as Osmaniye, Adana, Mersin, Antalya, Burdur, Isparta, Denizli, Muğla, Izmir and Manisa, the Anatolian leopard will be tracked with camera traps, Ünal said, "We will especially search for more leopardesses to facilitate breeding in order to increase the numbers of the Anatolian Leopards."

It was also pointed out that an application for this action plan was based on scientific grounds, as experts from Isparta University of Applied Sciences, Bursa Technical University, Düzce University, Muğla Sıtkı Koçman University, the World Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN) and the DKMP's 6th Regional Directorate participated in its drafting and presented it to the Scientific and Technological Research Council of Türkiye (TÜBİTAK) which accepted the proposal.

Stating that hunting the Anatolian leopard is prohibited, Ünal said, "Hunting such a rare species would be a big threat to biodiversity. Therefore, instead of hunting a historical and cultural species of our country, we should protect it as a nation. Let's protect this valued species."