Ali Teimouri, Director-General of Department of Environment’s Protection and Hunting and Fishing Management Office told reporters on Wednesday that Persian Leopard (panthera pardus ciscaucasica or panthera pardus saxicolor) had been covered by an insurance scheme provided by a Mellat Bank-affiliated insurance company, Bimeh-e-Ma.
“The decision is part of attempts to improve the conditions for endangered species and as an action of priority in national protection scheme of Persian Leopard; the insurance policy is the product of months of hectic work of examination of different insurance schemes which was finalized later today (Wednesday),” he told reporters.
“The articles of the policy included damage sustained by the livestock in leopard’s habitat (sheep, goat, horse, mole and donkey, camel, and shepherd’s dog) or damage on human by possible leopard attack; it also covers damage sustained by road accidents with leopard, poisonous food leopard eats, drought, flooding, wildfire, and other cases (other than age-related death),” he detailed. “A unique feature of insurance policy is that it covers two species of wildlife (leopards and wolf) in the policy which will drastically effect the payment of damage amounted.”
“This is a highly laudable action which the insurance company has voluntarily been involved in; the responsibility still lies with the general public to initiate proper actions of other sort to protect country’s natural national resources,” he asserted.
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