A team of veterinarians and environmental experts have been tasked with saving a sickly six-year-old leopard in the Mashhad Zoo, after footage of the captive animal being mistreated sparked a public outcry on social media.
"The declining health of Aras [the leopard's name] triggered an unprecedented move in the field of wildlife preservation," said Farbod Houman, a wildlife protection expert with the Department of Environment's office in Khorasan Razavi Province, where Mashhad is located.
"A specialized task force has been set up for the first time over the five-decade history of the Mashhad Zoo, which marks a new chapter in the government's campaign to provide medical care to wildlife species," he told IRNA on Tuesday.
The team comprises representatives from the provincial office of Iran's Veterinary Organization, faculty members of the veterinary college at the Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, the director of the DOE's provincial office and other environmental officials.
A report documenting the latest medical examination conducted on the young Persian leopard, dated last year, said the ailing animal was suffering frequent epileptic seizures, making it too risky to use anesthetics.
Movable sophisticated medical equipment was used to carry out on-site examination and provide first-line treatment on Monday, Houman said.
"Some infected wounds were spotted in the hands and legs during the physical examination, for which medicine was prescribed. The wounds indicated the leopard was in poor health and made it vulnerable to a variety of diseases."
"Despite its ill health, Aras came around from the anesthetic," the official said.
He added that final diagnosis report is pending the biopsy and other test results.
Persian leopards are among the most threatened animals in the world, with Iran among their last remaining habitat. They are classified as “endangered” species by the International Union for Conservation of Nature.
According to DOE, the number of Persian leopard deaths has significantly declined in recent years.
The implementation of various protection schemes and improvement of living conditions have increased its population in natural reserves. Efforts to protect the Persian leopard will not only help the species, but other wildlife as well, making the leopard a so-called umbrella species.
