Leopard

Zengezur National Park

This animal species belongs to the class Mammalia, the order Carnivora, and the family Felidae. In Azerbaijan, it occurs in the Hyrcanian forests, the Zangezur Range, the Daridag, Nehramdag and Deresham areas, the Lesser Caucasus, the Karabakh Plateau, north of the Mingachevir Reservoir, and the Akhar-Bakhar Range. It has an elongated, muscular body and powerful limbs. Its coat is yellow, pale yellow, or reddish-yellow. The arrangement of spots is unique to each individual, and the spots are distributed across the body in rosette patterns. The underside is light-coloured. The tip of the tail has closely spaced black rings. Body length ranges from 126 to 171 cm and sometimes reaches 183 cm; tail length is 94–116 cm. The average body weight is approximately 30 kg. The largest individuals in the Caucasus are found in this region. It inhabits various biotopes, including rocky areas, dry landscapes covered with juniper shrubs, rocky woodland, and humid Hyrcanian forests. Mating takes place in December–January. Cubs are born mainly in April–May, with 2–3 cubs per litter.