Residents of a village near the town of Zakho lost around 20 sheep before realising a leopard was attacking their flocks, he said. Saado said the leopard was given anaesthetic before it was captured. THE PERSIAN LEOPARD NATIVE TO MIDDLE EASTPersian leopards are a panther sub-species native to Turkey, Iran, Afghanistan and the Caucasus. They are extremely rare and have been listed as endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). Veterinarian Soleiman Tamr, who conducted the amputation at Dohuk zoo on Friday, said the animal weighed around 90-100 kilogrammes (200-220 pounds).

Source: The North Africa Journal January 01, 2022 14:59 UTC