Amur Leopards 2015 YOUR ADOPTION UPDATE

UPDATE FEBRUARY Amur leopards 2015 YOUR ADOPTION UPDATE

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O I N L S S A I CAT D HOWHOW YOU’REYOU’RE HELPING TOTO PROTECT PROTECTE LORD’S HALF-BROTHER AMURAMUR LEOPARDS LEOPARDS ACROSS RUSSIA AND AND CHINA CHINA HAS TAKEN OVER HIS WILD WORLD – NEWS OF OUR WORK AROUND- NE THEWS WORLD OF OUR TERRITORY WORK AROUND THE WORLD A BRAND NEW SECTION FOR A BRAND NEW SECTION FOR OUR YOUNG ADOPTERS OUR YOUNG ADOPTERS

FEBRUARY 2015 • 3 AMUR LEOPARDS

Lord G

SEE THE CUBS IN ACTION

You may remember reading about a fly-on-the-wall YouTube documentary about the antics of your adopted leopards

he Russian team has finished the second lot of episodes, T including some of the scenes you’ve just read about. You can watch the video at wwf.org.uk/spottedfamily2. YOUR FIELD If you’ve recently become an adopter and didn’t see part 1, you’ll find it at wwf.org.uk/spottedfamily.

Some scenes are quite graphic, so adults may wish to view the footage first, before letting younger viewers see it. REPORT SPOT THE DIFFERENCE Meamur KII KR A S I COMPILED BY YULIA FOMENKO R P We haven’t been able to tell whether Narva’s cubs are boys O R M O or girls, but they’re all very different characters. FROM WWF’S RUSSIAN I V

AMUR LEOPARD AND TIGER N © WWF-RUSSIA IMAGES ALL LEO is the oldest cub and is always leading the others into

R C E Narva PROGRAMME, WHICH YOUR U mischief. He (or she) has all the makings of a skilful hunter. S S KRYM is much more cautious than Leo, but still very active. ADOPTION HELPS SUPPORT I T A N S FA R E A The two cubs often play together. BARY is the youngest and also the quietest of the cubs. He (or she) rarely joins in with Leo and Krym’s rough-and- tumble, and is always the last to feed. ig news! Lord has been overthrown by his that Meamur’s socks aren’t quite as long. He’s even more anxious. New camera trap footage half-brother, and Narva’s cubs have been in 1.5 YEARS been prowling around his new territory making revealed two of Narva’s cubs, but we couldn’t see and out of hiding. It’s like a leopard version AMUR LEOPARD his presence felt, and he’s already attracted the any signs of the third. We were heartbroken – The two older cubs didn’t even seem to notice, of ‘Lord Of The Rings’. attention of at least one female resident. Narva was but that wasn’t the end of the story. but the youngest one looked rather confused. CUBS BECOME recently caught on camera following his trail. He watched Narva walk away and then sat STEALING THE CROWN We kept watching the forest and checking the down, as if waiting for her to return. FULLY TRIPLET TROUBLE camera traps, and a few weeks later they gave us In your last update we told you that Tolstyi’s son, Eventually he gave up and the cubs spent the results we’d been hoping for. The third cub Lord, was the new dominant male in the Land INDEPENDENT Talking of Narva. She and her three young cubs the night together. Amazingly they chose a was alive and well, and his paw seemed better of the Leopard National Park. But it seems his have been keeping us on our toes. First of all, spot right next to our camera traps. With no AT AROUND too. We think this cheeky cub was probably there half-brother, Meamur, had other ideas. Our latest we found camera trap footage showing that the mum to control them they had a great time, ONE-AND-A- all along, but keeping out of range of the camera camera trap photos show that Meamur has now youngest and smallest of the litter had hurt its tumbling and play fighting. Perhaps they traps. Playing hide-and-seek with us! taken over Lord’s domain. We haven’t seen Lord HALF YEARS paw. A few weeks later, Narva was caught on were polishing up the vital hunting skills We think Lord

for a few months and think he’s probably moved to camera again, but without a cub in sight. Where GOODBYE GIRL they’ll need to survive on their own. may have moved OLD to a different part another part of the forest. were they? of the forest After all that, the adventure still wasn’t over Meamur was given his name by Ilya Lagutenko, We knew that the cubs were reaching the age for the three gorgeous cubs. One night, Narva YOUR NEXT UPDATE >> IN YOUR JUNE UPDATE leader of popular Russian rock band Mumiy Troll. where they could survive on their own in the wild, decided it was time to say goodbye to her WE’LL BRING YOU MORE NEWS ABOUT YOUR ADOPTED AMUR And this is one cool cat. He’s very handsome, but we were concerned about the youngest one’s boisterous brood. There was no big fuss. She LEOPARDS, SO KEEP WATCHING THE POST. and has the same white socks as Lord – except injury. Then we found something that made us simply turned tail and headed off on her own.

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42 • YOURFEBRUARY AMUR LEOPARDS 2015 ADOPTION UPDATE FEBRUARYFEBRUARY 2015 2015 • 53

, TELLS WHY YOU

mur leopards are spotty, very but hard why using spot!to That’s camera traps is

Amur leopards Amur You’re helping us learn more about about more learn us helping You’re SEEING RED SEEING red Beautiful pandas live in steep mountain forests where bamboo – their favourite food – grows. They’re very andshy secretive, so quiteit’s rare to ringedbushy, tails can grow to 46cm long and they use them as cosy wraparound blankets. see them in the wild. Adults are about thesame size as a pet cat. The pandas’ A so important. And should you be really proud yourself.of Adopters like for pay to help you theequipment that tells us about the so much cats’ movements and behaviour important – information that enables us pinpoint to the best ways protect to them. been stepping the up numberWe’ve camera of traps being used in Russia and China. now We have around 200 in China and 200 in the Land of the Leopard National Park, home of your leopards.adopted In total, covering we’re around known of 80% Amur leopard habitat in Russia. Results last of winter’s Amur leopard survey thereshow are around individual 20 Amur leopards living in north-east China – between 13 and 15 in Jilin province and 5-7 in Heilongjiang province. This brings the total estimated global population wild of Amur leopards Because 70. to you, we canof working on go learn to about more these incredible cats big and inform help the national conservation making strategy. You’re a real difference the to Amur future. leopard’s Thank you. ADOPTER INSIGHT AMUROUR LEOPARD EXPERT, BECCI MAY CAMERA TRAPS ARE PLAYING A VITAL PART SECURING IN A BETTER FUTURE FORAMUR LEOPARDS © WWF-RUSSIA / ISUNR

AMUR LEOPARDS AMUR LEOPARDS NEWS NEWS MAPPING OUT HEALTHY BALANCE / WWF FILONOV © VLADIMIR Amur leopards are top predators, which means they play a crucial role in maintaining a healthy ecosystem. We’re working hard to A FUTURE increase prey numbers, because it all helps to nurture nature We’re working within Russia and China to ensure Amur leopards and tigers have a brighter future ince 2012 we’ve been chance of surviving the long, harsh S reintroducing red deer and sika winters. And it looks like our efforts deer into Wangqing Nature Reserve are paying off. here are around 70 Amur • Supporting the protection and and introducing methods to support leopards left in the wild, and the management of forests to give Amur 2,500 SQ KM Latest survey results show that all prey species in other protected areas last remaining populations are leopards and other animals safe THE AMUR LEOPARD’S the feeding stations in Wangquin and across north-east China, including found in the forests of the Russian Far places to hunt and breed Suiyang are being used, and that prey CURRENT RANGE IS Suiyang Nature Reserve. East (principally Primorsky province) species are reproducing. Prey density • Supporting the prey species that ESTIMATED TO BE and north-east China (Jilin and FROSTY FODDER has doubled in Suiyang and tripled leopards and tigers depend on – for UNDER 2,500 SQUARE Heilongjiang provinces). in Wangqing compared with 2010. example, by providing additional KILOMETRES – One of the methods we use is to Roe deer and wild boar are charging UNDER PRESSURE food for deer during harsh winters place feeding stations and salt licks THAT’S AN AREA ahead in the population stakes, which in different parts of the forest. This Many of the forests are untouched and • Tackling unsustainable and illegal AROUND THE SIZE is great news for Amur leopards. gives deer and other animals a better A magnificent sika deer pristine. But times are changing. Forest logging with the help of our Global OF DORSET fires, infrastructure development and Forest & Trade Network – which logging to feed the global demand for supports trade between companies wood and paper are putting pressure committed to responsible forestry on Amur leopard habitats. Poaching is TOUGH JUSTICE WE’RE HOPING STRONGER MEASURES AGAINST WILDLIFE CRIME WILL MAKE WOULD-BE OFFENDERS THINK AGAIN an additional threat to Amur leopards and their prey. NUTS ABOUT LEOPARDS ollowing amendments to do when he came across a group HOW WE’RE HELPING HEALTHY FORESTS ARE A MUST the Criminal Code of of men inspecting a leopard skin – FOR BOTH AMUR LEOPARDS Russian Federation (which incredibly they were doing this We’re working with governments AND TIGERS. PINE NUTS FROM we pushed for), it’s now illegal in broad daylight in the middle and other partners to look after the KOREAN CEDAR PINE PROVIDE to take, keep, purchase, store, of a street! long-term future of the Amur-Heilong IMPORTANT FODDER FOR WILD transport, transfer and sell wild The witness immediately region and the wildlife it supports. BOARS AND OTHER PREY SPECIES. IN 2010, WE animals protected by Russian contacted the police and they Our work includes: HELPED PERSUADE THE RUSSIAN GOVERNMENT TO law – including Amur leopards. caught the culprit red-handed. He BAN THE LOGGING OF KOREAN PINE. SOME LOCAL And the government has been • Monitoring the movements of was found guilty and given seven COMMUNITIES NOW HARVEST PINE NUTS AS AN making sure that everyone Amur leopards and tigers, months’ community service with ALTERNATIVE, SUSTAINABLE SOURCE OF INCOME. knows this through a poster including camera trap surveys 5% of his salary confiscated. and advertising campaign. Now It’s another positive step forward we’ve seen the first conviction. in the fight against illegal

wildlife trade. HOW YOU CAN HELP – THINK FSC IN THE KNOW WHENEVER YOU BUY FURNITURE AND OTHER Having read one of the posters,

WOOD OR PAPER PRODUCTS, ALWAYS LOOK © MARK ATKINSON / WWF a witness knew exactly what to FOR THE FOREST STEWARDSHIP COUNCIL (FSC) SYMBOL. THIS CONFIRMS THAT THE WOOD WAS IT’S NOW ILLEGAL TO TAKE, KEEP, PURCHASE, STORE, TRANSPORT, SOURCED FROM RESPONSIBLY MANAGED FORESTS. YOU CAN READ MORE ABOUT OUR LIVING TRANSFER AND SELL WILD ANIMALS PROTECTED BY RUSSIAN LAW FORESTS CAMPAIGN IN WILD WORLD. MAIN PIC: © NATUREPL.COM / YURI SHIBNEV / WWF TRUCK: © BRENT STIRTON / GETTY IMAGES / WWF-UK NUTS: © ISTOCKPHOTO.COM

6 • YOUR AMUR LEOPARDS ADOPTION UPDATE FEBRUARY 2015 •7 COVER: © THIEBAUD GONTARD / BIOSPHOTO / FLPA BACK COVER: THINKSTOCKPHOTOS.COM COVER: BACK / FLPA / BIOSPHOTO GONTARD © THIEBAUD COVER:

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S I 100% • R P O R RECYCLED MY SNOWYOUR LEOPARDS AMUR LEOPARDS ADOPTION UPDATE M O

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SEND A MESSAGE TO THE RANGERS KNOWING THAT YOU’RE THERE FOR THEM MEANS A LOT TO THE RANGERS MONITORING YOUR ADOPTED AMUR LEOPARDS, SO WHY NOT SEND THEM YOUR PERSONAL MESSAGE OF SUPPORT? WE’LL FORWARD IT ON TO YULIA, AND PRINT A SELECTION IN YOUR NEXT ADOPTION UPDATE. EMAIL YOUR MESSAGE OF BETWEEN 50–100 WORDS TO [email protected] WITH THE SUBJECT LINE ‘MY AMUR LEOPARDS – MESSAGE FOR RANGERS’

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