The Anatolian leopard thought to be extinct was caught by a camera trap in two separate regions in Turkey, the Minister of Agriculture and Forestry said.

“The Anatolian leopard has been re-displayed in two different regions. We will continue to follow its trail and watch its path with excitement. May this ancient land be its eternal homeland and may its majesty be forever,” Vahid Kirişci wrote on Twitter.

The Anatolian leopard, Panthera pardus tulliana, is a leopard subspecies native to the Iranian Plateau and surrounding areas encompassing Turkey, the Caucasus, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Armenia, Iraq, Iran, Turkmenistan, Afghanistan, and possibly Pakistan.

In southeastern Turkey, its presence was documented in the Çınar district of Diyarbakır Province and in Bitlis Province.

In 2018 and 2019, it was photographed on the northern slopes of Mount Cudi in Şırnak Province, and this may be a corridor for movement between Turkey and Iraq.

It has also been photographed in the north-eastern province of Artvin, which borders Georgia, but whether the animals are residents is not known

Since 2016, it has been listed as Endangered on the IUCN Red List, as the wild population is estimated at less than 1,000 mature individuals. (ILKHA)