The Ministry of Environmental Protection and Agriculture confirmed that a leopard, a species listed in the Red Book, has been captured on camera in Georgia’s Algeti National Park, marking only the third recorded sighting of the animal in the country in the past two decades. The Ministry also noted that two photo traps near the perimeter fence of the National Wildlife Agency’s red deer breeding facility recorded the rare predator.
Revaz Bezhashvili, Head of the National Wildlife Agency, explained that the leopard likely inhabits the Trialeti Ridge and has long remained undetected due to its elusive nature. “Leopards are extremely cautious and avoid people. Two of the dozens of photo traps placed along the 4-kilometer fence managed to record the animal moving along the perimeter. The facility itself is fully protected, with 72 hectares enclosed and equipped with 40 photo traps and 30 video cameras. The deer are safe, while outside the enclosure the leopard has abundant natural prey,” Bezhashvili said. He added that the sighting shows the importance of Georgia’s protected areas and the necessity of maintaining them.
Zoologist and professor Zurab Gurielidze emphasized the broader ecological importance, saying that the sighting reinforces Georgia’s role on the biodiversity map of Eurasia. “The species Panthera pardus, included in the IUCN Red List, was once widespread in Georgia during the Middle Ages. Due to poaching, it has been considered extinct in the country since the mid-20th century. Historically, Georgians referred to the leopard as ‘vepkh’, Gurielidze said.
Georgia currently has 100 protected areas across six categories, covering nearly 930,000 hectares. The government is also working to expand the network, with four new protected territories planned in Samegrelo, Svaneti, Kakheti and Guria, along with the enlargement of Racha’s protected areas. Officials stress that keeping rare ecosystems, plants and animal species safe remains a central mission of the country’s conservation policy.
