Regional Cooperation for Conservation of Persian Leopard

Allies nationally and regionally got together in Tehran, to discuss and plan new horizons for Persian Leopard conservation in the region.

After several years of regional cooperation and information sharing, Dr. Igor Khorozyan from Armenia came to Iran on Tuesday April 14, 2008, with invitation from the Plan for the Land Society and support of Shahid Beheshti University (Biological Science Research Center) and the Department of the Environment of Fars province to get more familiar with the Iranian scientist and enthusiasts active in the Persian Leopard study and conservation field.
As an introduction session, key Iranian societies that are active in Persian Leopard study and conservation held a meeting with Mr. Khorozyan on Plan for the Land Society office, on Tuesday morning, April 15, 2008, and discussed the current activities which are revolving around the Persian Leopard in the region. The meeting participants were Hamed Moshiri, Director of the Plan for the Land Society, Ms Naghme Naghiloo, Plan for the Land Education Director, Arash Ghodoosi, Plan for the Land Biodiversity Conservation Director, Amirhoseein Khaleghi Hamidi , Plan for the Land Conservation of Persian Leopard in Bamu National Park Project Field Researcher , Ali Aghili, Director of Persian Leopard Conservation Society and Plan for the Land Member and Igor Khorozyan, freelance researcher on Persian Leopard from Armenia. The group then made a visit to the Dar’abad Wildlife Museum, to see the only Persian Leopard in Captivity in Iran, which is a 7 years old male from Mazandaran Province, North of Iran.

During Igor Khorozyan's stay in Iran, series of meeting with Iranian Biodiversity experts will be held, and the Plan for the Land Society members and Igor Khorozyan will make a visit to Bamu National Pak as an Introduction visit for Mr. Khorozyan to get more familiar with the Plan for the Land Society ongoing project with the cooperation of the Department of the Environment head office in Fars Province on Persian Leopard Conservation in Bamu National Park.

After this trip, a workshop for sharing ideas for the enthusiasts and experts in the field of Big cats in Iran will be Held in Dar’abad Wildlife Museum on Tuesday 22nd of April 16-19 and a one day seminar on the Status assessment of the Persian Leopard in the region with Dr. Bahram Kiabi and Igor Khorozyan as plenary speakers, will be held in Biological research center of Shahid Beheshti University, on Wednesday 23rd of April 9-12.