The officials at the Department of Environment arrested a man who killed a Persian leopard in the forests of Talesh, Gilan Province, Mehr News quoted the head of Environment and Wildlife Watch, Keyvan Hushmand, as saying. The poacher was sentenced to 42 months in prison. The sentence included 3 years for hunting down the rare cat. He pleaded guilty following the presentation of incriminating evidence, testimonies by locals, and his unlicensed rifle being uncovered. Another 6 months were added to the charges for carrying a weapon. He was also fined a sum of about $1,850 for having damaged the environment and wild life with his rifle which is now confiscated. The poacher appealed the court’s decision, but the provincial court rejected the claims and upheld the initial verdict.
