VIDEO: Nova the Leopard Discovers Camera Trap and Decides to Investigate

Nova is a Caucasian leopard / Southwestern Asian leopard, Panthera pardus saxicolor, likely a female individual, captured by camera traps in the Caucasian Wildlife Refuge (CWR) area last year. In the video, Nova finds the camera trap itself and sets out to explore what it is.

The Foundation for the Preservation of Wildlife and Cultural Values reports that until the autumn months of last year, it was widely known that there was one permanent resident in the CWR adjacent areas - Neo the leopard. Then Nova appeared and changed everyone’s perceptions, creating new expectations.

There is a high probability that Nova is a female, which would mark significant progress in the years-long conservation efforts. To confirm this probability, additional studies are necessary, but the likelihood of the individual being female opens great possibilities for further breeding and reproduction of the species. This would be an important achievement for Armenia and the entire region.

Our studies show that within a month, the new individual has been recorded in the same area as the well-known male leopard named Neo. It is actually unlikely that two male individuals would remain so close to each other for such a long time. Both Neo and the newly recorded leopard are young individuals, making their chances of breeding more likely.

This video serves as further evidence of the effectiveness of the privately protected activities of the Caucasian Wildlife Refuge. In this regard, the invaluable support of FPWC partners, including the World Land Trust, Viva-MTS, and other organizations, is also noteworthy. Thanks to their support, we now hope to establish a breeding pair of leopards in Armenia.