Panthera pardus
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The Caucasian leopard, also called leopard (Panthera pardus), is a mammal in the cat family (Felidae). Animals in Georgia belong to the West Asian subspecies Panthera pardus tulliana — the Persian leopard. At species level IUCN lists the leopard as Vulnerable; the subspecies tulliana was assessed as Endangered in 2023. Georgia’s 2014 Red List lists the leopard as Critically Endangered (CR, D1). IUCN maps Georgia as extant and vagrant: the species occurs, but not as a stable numerous population. It has no venom. The human risk is a large predator’s bite and livestock killing, not poison.
Identification
A large cat with a long tail, short ears without tufts, and a coat of rosettes — not a zigzag and not solid spots all over. In Georgia it is a rare vagrant.
In a measured Iranian series (Farhadinia et al. 2014; then treated as P. p. saxicolor) adult males often have a total length of 200–240 cm (mean about 221 cm) and mass 40–91 kg (mean about 66 kg); females are smaller — often 182–228 cm and 26–60 kg. There is no separate wild Georgian measurement series on this page. Ears are short and rounded, without tufts. The tail is about two-thirds of body length and darker toward the tip.
Ground colour runs from yellowish-grey to golden-brown. Spots are rosettes: dark rings with a paler centre, not solid black dots over the whole body. The belly is paler. Cubs are darker and more heavily marked. Museum mounts in Tbilisi show historical specimens, not a living wild animal.
Eurasian lynx (Lynx lynx) occurs in Georgia: it is much smaller, has ear tufts, and a short tail with a black tip. The leopard has a long tail and rosettes. Grey wolf (Canis lupus) is taller and not spotted. Snow leopard (Panthera uncia) does not occur in Georgia. This atlas has no lynx page yet.
Live photos on this page are captive or zoo animals, not wild Georgian frames. Wild Georgian records are mainly camera-trap images released by organisations.
The subspecies mainly uses mountain forest, woodland-scrub, and rocky slopes. It usually avoids deserts and open plains, though it can appear in lowlands. In the Caucasus it prefers southern slopes; deep snow can block movement. Named recent Georgian localities are Vashlovani Protected Areas (tracks and camera-traps 2003–2009), Tusheti Protected Areas (camera-trap 2021; IUCN 2023 reports one male moving between Tusheti and Khunzakhsky Nature Park in Dagestan), and Algeti National Park. On 17 September 2025 the Agency of Wildlife reported two camera-traps on the outer fence of a deer farm in Algeti — the third such record in 20 years. The agency infers that the animal has been on the Trialeti Ridge for some time; that is an inference, not an independent survey. Mongabay/WWF identify the same animal as Aren, a male moving from Armenia; the agency text does not make that identification. These are named records, not a complete map. Administrative regions are not coloured here. The 2010–2014 national action plan states that in the early twentieth century habitat covered most of Georgia except the Javakheti Plateau and the south-east lowlands — that is historical, not the present range. A Georgia-only elevation band is not measured on this page.
There is no separate Georgian diet study on this page. In northern Iran and Armenia, wild ungulates make up 80–95% of consumed biomass. Caucasus literature names bezoar goat (Capra aegagrus), wild boar, roe deer, Caucasian tur, and red deer. When wild prey is scarce, sheep, goats, cattle, or dogs may be taken. The Georgian menu has not been measured. IUCN notes that African swine fever in wild boar in Armenia and Georgia may add pressure on the prey base.
Related guides
Questions
Short answers to the most important questions about Caucasian leopard.
Yes, but rarely. IUCN lists the country as extant and vagrant. The national Red List status is CR. Modern confirmation is by camera-trap in Vashlovani, Tusheti, and Algeti. The 2025 Algeti record was published by the Agency of Wildlife; it is not a countrywide density.
Realistically, almost nowhere with any guarantee. Named sites are Vashlovani, Tusheti, and Algeti. There is no tourist “almost guaranteed” sighting. This page does not colour the regional map.
A large cat with rosettes, a long tail, and no ear tufts. Lynx has a short tail, ear tufts, and is much smaller.
In the Iranian series, adult males often measure 200–240 cm total length and 40–91 kg; females are smaller. There is no wild Georgian series here.
Mainly medium and large ungulates. Diet has not been measured separately in Georgia. Livestock may be taken if wild prey is scarce.
Mainly at night and at dusk. It does not migrate like many birds; individuals may move across borders.
Yes — a territorial rasp. The clip on this page is from Botswana (xeno-canto XC1077461, subspecies P. p. pardus); there is no Georgian or Caucasian recording here.
It is not venomous. It is a large predator. Do not approach. A series of attacks on people in Georgia is not documented on this page.
Yes. It is CR on the Georgian Red List, hunting is prohibited, and it is on CITES Appendix I. The subspecies is Endangered globally; the species is Vulnerable.
References
Species profiles are compiled from peer-reviewed literature and established biodiversity databases, and are reviewed as new taxonomic and conservation data become available.
Prepared by the Reptiles.ge editorial team from the sources listed here.
