25 February 2015
The Amur leopard, one of the world's most endangered felines, has doubled in number! It is still critically endangered, but with the help of camera traps, 57 individuals have now been found compared to 30 in 2007 in Land of the Leopard National Park in Russia, as well as a few individuals in nearby areas of China.
The reintroduction of individuals from zoos is imminent and preparations are now underway. The idea is that the Amur leopards will be introduced into a nature reserve where they were exterminated 30 years ago in the Amur region of southeastern Russia. Within the project, it is anticipated that the population could increase to 80 individuals within 15-20 years, which bodes well with the latest figures. More about this can be found. Read here.
For more information about the project, please visit High or World Wide Fund for Nature.
The Amur leopard is part of the European Endangered Species Programme (EEP) and can be found in Sweden at Parken Zoo and Nordens Ark. Here, we house the breeding pair Boris and Takara, who had their first cub, Olga, on 21st June last year.