Strategy for the conservation of the leopard in the Caucasus ecoregion : results from the Strategic Planning Workshop on Leopard Conservation in the Caucasus, Tbilisi, Georgia, 30 May - 1 June 2007

The workshop was hosted by WWF Caucasus Programme Office and was held in Tbilisi, Georgia, 31 May – 2 June 2008. During the three day workshop, the participants agreed on a long-term vision for the conservation of the leopard in the Caucasus ecoregion as: “Leopards and all wildlife prosper in natural habitats across the Caucasus ecoregion in harmony with people”. To achieve the vision, the mid-term goal has been defined as: “Ensure the conservation and sustainable management of viable meta-populations of leopard and wild prey and their habitats and build sustainable coexistence mechanisms with local communities across the Caucasus ecoregion”. To provide background information for the development of sound conservation plans, a series of six articles reviewing the status of the leopard, its prey and habitats in the Caucasus was published in Cat News Special Issue 2, 2007, Status and Conservation of the Leopard in the Caucasus.