13.12.2025 15:31
Prof. Dr. Mustafa Sözen from Zonguldak Bülent Ecevit University stated regarding the animal that was spotted at the top of a tree in Tunceli and referred to as the Anatolian Leopard, "When we saw a large spotted cat at the top of the tree, we hurriedly said 'leopard.' However, after reevaluating the images with my colleagues, we concluded that it was a lynx."
A villager living in the rural and highland area of the city captured an animal he saw on a tree with his mobile phone camera. Experts examining the footage determined that the animal was an Anatolian Leopard. However, after a detailed examination, it was identified that the animal in the tree was a lynx. Prof. Dr. Mustafa Sözen, a faculty member of the Department of Biology at Zonguldak Bülent Ecevit University, stated that they realized the animal in question was a lynx after a detailed review of the footage.
"AT FIRST GLANCE, WE THOUGHT IT WAS A LEOPARD"
Prof. Dr. Sözen said, "In my statement regarding the footage from Tunceli, I want to correct a misconception. When we saw a large spotted cat on top of the tree in the mobile phone footage, we hastily said 'leopard.' But after reevaluating the footage with my colleagues, we decided it was a lynx. I think when we really wanted to see a leopard, we wished for the spotted animal on top of the tree to be a leopard, and at first glance, we thought it was a leopard. However, the animal is a lynx. We felt it necessary to make this correction and provide an additional statement to inform the public accurately," he said.