25 June 2015
In February, we wrote that Hopes rise for the Amur leopard (Panthera pardus orientalis) which is an acutely endangered species.
The number had then doubled and it is estimated that there are between 50-70 in the wild. These individuals live in a small pocket in Russia between Vladivostok and the Chinese-Russian border. 220 individuals are currently in zoos around Europe, Russia, North America and Japan. All are part of a global conservation breeding programme coordinated by the Zoological Society of London and Moscow Zoo.
Pleasing news is that the Russian Ministry of Natural Resources has formally approved a plan for the reintroduction of Amur leopards in the Russian Far East. The plan is to build facilities in the form of special enclosures, where established breeding pairs will hopefully reproduce. The cubs will then grow up in the right environment from the start and can, when they are mature, be released.
The reintroduction site has been agreed as Lazovsky Zapovednik (State Nature Reserve) in the southeastern tip of Russia.
Construction is planned to begin in Spring 2016, and hopefully, leopards can be released as early as 2017.
Further information on the reintroduction and the approved plan, can be found at Amur Leopard and Tiger Alliances website.
The Amur leopard is part of the European breeding programme for the conservation of endangered species and can be found in Sweden at Parken Zoo and Nordens Ark. Here we have the breeding pair Boris and Takara, who had their first cub, Olga, on 21st June last year. When you visit the park, look high up among the trees – that's where these magnificent felines usually lie!