Financial Tribune- The wildlife insurance plan for the Persian leopard�a measure deterring shepherds from killing the animal to protect their livestock�has been renewed for five more years, the Department of Environment's director of Hunting and Fishing Office.

Speaking to Mehr News Agency, Ali Teymouri added that the insurance, offered by Ma Insurance Company, had expired in March but has been renewed. The Persian leopard is the only living Pantera subspecies in Iran, which is of immense ecological value and historical significance to the country.

A study spanning four years found that 71% of all Persian leopard fatalities were attributed to illegal hunting or poisoning by shepherds concerned with the wellbeing of their livestock. Reduced prey population and shrinkage of the natural habitat are other factors threatening the graceful, but imperiled, big cats.