It’s home to 17,000 different species of animal including several which are Endangered that find sanctuary across the varied landscapes of the 30,000 ha (74,000-acre) Caucasus Wildlife Refuge in south-west Armenia.

Armenian wildlife

Caucasian (or Persian) leopard

Portrait of a Persian leopard. Credit: RolfSt/Getty Images 

• ‘The leopard was croufched 3m away, its golden eyes locked on mine. What happened next is still a blur’
• “It lifted its head and – boom! The leopard was hanging from its neck like a huge mango on a tree…”

With a global population estimated at around 1,000, no more than a dozen of these impressive big cats are thought to live in the remote mountains of southern Armenia.

Elusive, solitary and largely nocturnal, the leopards roam huge ranges, and a key conservation measure is creating more connected landscapes across the Caucasus region. The largest of eight sub-species of leopard – they can grow to 190cm long and weigh in at 70kg – their stocky bodies are covered with a unique pattern of black rosettes.

Armenian mouflon

Armenian mouflon in the mountains. Credit: HeitiPaves/Getty ImagesSaid to be the ancestor of the domestic sheep, this iconic animal, with its impressive curved horns, is at home on Armenia’s dry mountain steppes and Alpine meadows.

Sadly, the mouflon has suffered a steep decline in recent years, as they’ve struggled to evade poachers, while much of their habitat has been lost to mining. They are also often out competed for food by domestic livestock.

• What would happen if sheep stopped grazing our hillsides?

Syrian brown bear

Syrian brown bear and its white claws. Credit: Gidon Pico/Getty ImagesWith around 600 individuals, Armenia supports one of the last stable populations of this small bear, which was once widespread across the Middle East. With much lighter fur than their larger cousins, they are the only bear to have white claws.

• Can a human outrun a bear? 
• A year in the life of European brown bears

Although they prefer the mountains, habitat loss and a lack of food is forcing them to scavenge closer to villages, leading to inevitable human conflict. They were also traditionally used for public entertainment but a new sanctuary has recently opened to home bears rescued from captivity.

Bezoar goat or ibex

Ibex standing on a rocky mountain. Credit: Johnny Stern/Getty ImagesSaid to the direct ancestor of the domestic goat, the bezoar goat is part of the Caprinae sub-family, often described as the goat antelope.

Despite their huge scimitar-shaped horns – which are the longest in relation to body weight of any animal – they’re dextrous enough to evade predators by climbing impossibly steep mountainsides. Their name comes from bezoar stones, a solid mass of hair and indigestible plant materials which forms in the gut.

• Just how on Earth are ibex able to scale vertical, sheer cliff faces?The secrets behind their seemingly impossible climbs

Bearded vulture

Close-up of bearded vulture perching in field. Credit: J Uriarte/ Getty Images

• Meet the skeleton-eating bird that dyes itself the colour of blood
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