Aleopard was recorded by a camera-trap inBamyan Province in 2011. The long-lasting conflict in the country badly affected both predator and prey species, so that the national population is considered to be small and severely threatened.[6][7][8] Between 2004 and 2007, a total of 85 leopard skins were seen being offered in markets of Kabul.[9] Contemporary records do not exist for any of the smaller cat species known to have been present in the country, all of which were threatened already in the 1970s by indiscriminate hunting, prey depletion andhabitat destruction.[10] Hunting wildlife is banned in allprovinces of Afghanistan.[11][12]
TheAsiatic cheetah is considered to beextirpated in Afghanistan since the 1950s.[10] Two cheetah skins were seen in markets in the country, one in 1971, and then in 2006. The latter was reportedly fromSamangan Province.[13]
TheCaspian tiger used to occur along the upper reaches ofHari River nearHerat to the jungles in the lower reaches of the river until the early 1970s.[14]
Uncertain is the historical presence of theAsiatic lion in the country, as locality records are not known.[10] It is thought to have been present in southwestern and southern Afghanistan.[15] In March 2017, theAfghan Border Police seized sixwhite lions at theWesh–Chaman border crossing inSpin Boldak. The origin of the lions was unclear at first but later it was confirmed that they were fromAfrica. Four of the lions were later taken toKabul Zoo while the other two were still somewhere inKandahar Province.[16]
^Moheb, Z.; Bradfield, D. (2014). "Status of the common leopard in Afghanistan" (61). Cat News:15–16.{{cite journal}}:Cite journal requires|journal= (help)
^Manati, A. R. (2009). "The trade in Leopard and Snow Leopard skins in Afghanistan".TRAFFIC Bulletin.22 (2):57–58.
^abcHabibi, K. (2003).Mammals of Afghanistan. Coimbatore, India: Zoo Outreach Organisation, USFWS.
^Geptner, V. G., Sludskij, A. A. (1992) [1972]."Tiger".Mlekopitajuščie Sovetskogo Soiuza. Moskva: Vysšaia Škola [Mammals of the Soviet Union. Volume II, Part 2. Carnivora (Hyaenas and Cats)]. Washington DC: Smithsonian Institution and the National Science Foundation. pp. 95–202.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
^Geptner, V. G., Sludskij, A. A. (1992) [1972]."Lion".Mlekopitajuščie Sovetskogo Soiuza. Moskva: Vysšaia Škola [Mammals of the Soviet Union. Volume II, Part 2. Carnivora (Hyaenas and Cats)]. Washington DC: Smithsonian Institution and the National Science Foundation. pp. 83–95.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
