‘It happens sometimes that young female cats bring their offspring to … their mother. Such cases have been observed a few times. The daughter brought her elder cubs to their grandmother when she the beauty the world had a younger cub, thus the latter remained with two litters and the former provided for her extended family. Apparently, young must save! animals lack experience in combining provision and breeding. That’s why this resembles the human situation: when times get rough, we run to our mothers…’ (as remembered by V. Korkishko). Amur leopard

Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Mammalia Order: Carnivora Family: Felidae Genus: Panthera Species: Panthera pardus, Linnaeus, 1758 Subspecies: Panthera pardus orientalis, Schlegel, 1875

A leopard (Panthera pardus – a Beauty will save Power and Grace of Wild Beauty ‘Our encounter occurred in winter. I parks. Such cases are tural cycles. This lifespan has been significantly redu- population has been preserved only in the south-west- spotted panther) appeared the world!’ The was not very much familiar with the called a conflict bet- ced by people. ern part of Primorye region and spans over a limited presumably in Africa about 470- contemporaries An apt and keen predator, the Amur leopard is territory, that’s why I didn’t manage to ween a leopard and a Despite this, the Amur leopard keeps struggling for its mountain forest 400 000 – 600 000 ha in size. 825 thousand years ago and about of the great famous for its enchanting grace. It is a lone find the chalet before dark, so I kept human, with the latter existence. Unfortunately, the death of 2-3 female spe- Perils and Threats 170-300 thousand years ago its Russian writer hunter with a noble spirit. solving it in a violent cies entails serious problems in breeding. Hence pe- Fyodr Dostoyevsky searching at night till I came across a distribution reached Asia. As an The Amur leopard is able to spot the prey at manner with a help of ople must take the leading role in preserving the shared this view for that was leopard. It must have been What can threaten a fearless and skilled predator? In autonomous specimen, the Amur a distance of up to 1,5 km. The whole hunting accompanying me for a couple of a rifle, a loop or a trap. leopard population by restoring the environment appro- the wild – not so much: a rival or a bigger aggressive leopard emerged in the course of the time when the develop- process amounts to one prodigious leap. The kilometers. I tried to cross the river but ment of the civilization and Nevertheless, the priate for conservation of this amazing wild cat. animal; a wound in a fight; natural disasters. In the mo- its exploration of the southern wild cat strictly follows the nature’s law: ‘Do there was no way further. All I could do areas of the Russian Far East. the urbanization were treated was make a bonfire and listen to the cautious wild cat pre- Territory of Survival dern world, where the humans have left almost no with optimism. Nowadays the not take more than you can eat.’ Usually a fers to stay away from place or thing untouched, a good-natured Amur deer, a roe deer and a wild boar are a favo- leopard going in circles around my majority of people think differently: it is the beauty that has spot all night long.’ (as remembered by people. A constant At the beginning of the 20th century the Amur leopard leopard is exposed to threats of a different kind. to be saved. First of all, the fragile beauty of nature that urite quarry the wild cat tows up a tree or a V. Korkishko – a world famous encroachment of a could be found in North-Western China (up to Beijing), keeps counting losses in different corners of the planet. rock. explorer of a Far-Eastern leopard, the human being on on the Korean Peninsula and in Russia – within modern Reduction of habitats as a result of One of such places is the south-west of the Primorye re- The Amur leopard poses no threat to human chief of Kedrovaya Pad Nature the leopard’s Primorye and Khabarovsk regions, including the Amur’s human activities (industrial exploration gion– the modern habitat for one of the most beautiful sub- beings. In the last 150 years no deaths from the Reserve) territory is re- left bank. During the 20th century the area was shrink- of the habitat; forest fires triggered by species of the feline family – the Amur leopard, the northern Amur leopard were recorded in Russia. There were garded as an representative of the species. The world is teetering on the ing. In the last 20 years it has reduced twofold. human activities and human reckless- only few cases of an induced attack. A chased wo- emergency call: it is time to move to another These days the Amur leopard has gone extinct on ness; deforestation) brink of an irreversible ecological disaster – a complete ex- unded animal attacks its hunter to survive, for thus it tinction of these graceful predators, whose amount does not habitat. the Korean seeks ways to run away. In most cases, the leopards exceed 50 individuals altogether. However, the Far-Eastern cats are not inclined to Peninsula. In Due to its paucity the Amur leopard has Poaching, deliberate and undeliberate In the course of ages their life was safeguarded by nature it- manage to do it. Young leopards migration. Mature cats define own segregated habi- China one always been a valuable specimen for zoos, shooting (for selling the leopard’s fur, are likely to follow human fo- A leopard is one of the circuses and private nurseries. self: forests of the Far-East, China and the Korean Penin- most popular symbols tats the size of which may make up to 300 km2 for can come Uncontrollable poaching was stopped only in for the usage in the traditional Eastern sula were a perfect place for hunting and fostering the otsteps driven solely by curiosity. a mature male specimen and 100 km2 for a fe- across sin- medicine) Sometimes a leopard can hunt used in heraldry for 1966. Hereinaſter the withdrawal from offspring. Unfortunately, nature is tremendously running out bravery, ardour and male one. On this territory the leopard is bound to gle species. nature was allowed only on a special of resources and it is the time for human beings to take dogs, small cattle, deer in deer live for 10-15 years keeping up the breed and na- In Russia its Exhaustion of food resources (livestock) charge of it. In other words, the future of the Amur leopard courage. permission. is in our hands. Conservation 2011 Is the establishment year of the National park – is a much The population of big carnivores standing at the apex of Autonomous noncommercial organi- more flexible governance the chain pyramid cannot be either high or low for it fully Russia was the first country with the Amur zation ‘Eurasian center of study, sa- form of natural resources reflects the condition of eco-systems which these leopard inhabiting its territory to undertake conser- ving and renewal of population of than a reserve. Due to a carnivores inhabit. Apparently, the modern taiga in the vation measures. leopards’ with S. Ivanov as the chair- thoroughly planned south-west of the Primorye region is able to feed no more To preserve the Amur leopard and mitigate the nega- man of Observational Council – the functional zoning, the than 50 leopards. tive impact on its population a regulatory framework immediate Chief of the Staff of the territory of a national park Map with Areal Borders in was drawn up. Presidential Executive Office. The comprises strictly protected the In 2001 the leading Russian and world experts came main goal of the Centre is gathering areas as well as leases for to the resolution of creating the reserve captive popula- and accumulation of recourses and human activities and 19th ecological paths. Thus a tion of the Amur leopard within its historic habitat. means for creating and developing national park enhances the 20th The concept of ‘natural preservation’ concession has the infrastructure of Protected Areas preservation of rare animals 21st centuries been in development since 2008, concerning the forest of Russia; proposal and realization of and plants and the lease aimed at expanding territories of temperate bro- measures targeted at preservation sustainable development of adleaf and mixed forests and broadleaf forests in the and restoration of the population. the region. leopard’s habitat. Specialists carried out a number of Special attention is devoted to enhancing efficient studies to provide scientific proof and Approximately the overall amount of the Amur leopard population on the verge of 19-20th cen- turies made up over 150 species. These days, ac- cording to various resources, the world population does not exceed 50 leopards. About 100 cats are held in captivity many of which are the hybrids with other subspecies.

Leopards are confined to the territories of the Primorye region The Amur leopard is a distinguished through dense vegetation, which entails active wild beauty that must hunting and recreational activities on such territories. The habitat be saved! Everyone can itself contains about 60 settlements, many of them are near its contribute to the victory, borders including such big residential areas as Vladivistok, namely the rescue of this S. Ivanov delivers a report at the Russian Geographical Society’s Ussurisk, Artem, Razdolnoye village, Vol’no-Nadezhinskoe village Board of Trustees meeting in Saint-Petersburg on 10 April 2012 and others. amazing animal It is our common duty to nature The Amur leopard is listed in Red Data preservation of the leopard in the hunting lease zones. functional zoning Russian Geographical Society allocated a grant to and future generations! Our children must Book of the Russian Federation and the stand the chance to witness one of the most Since the beginning of 2010 the Government along IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Since of the national park ‘Eurasian center of study, saving and renewal of popu- with scientific community undertook urgent measures to 1956 any attempt of hunting this animal which is establis- lation of leopards’. The project deals with works tar- unique creatures! save the Far-Eastern leopard. was prohibited, for the Amur leopard had hed to optimize the geted at the implementation of scientific knowledge It is time to realize the danger and unite in order 2010 Chairman of the Russian Government Vladimir been reclassified from a malicious territorial preserva- about the leopard for preservation purposes: samples to avert the extinction of the Amur leopard! Putin gave a number of orders to the Ministry of Natural specimen into a protected one. In 1966 the tion of the Amur of relief, flora and fauna for designing a new model of Amur leopard was enrolled on the IUCN Together we can save them. Resources of the Russian Federation targeted at ad- Red List of Threatened Species and the leopard. the park’s territory, realization of bio-technical activities dressing the issue of the preservation of unique natural entrapment of the species was forbidden. 2012 On the initia- for sustaining and expanding the population of prey for For further information visit: territories, enhancing the survival of the Amur leopard’s According to the last version of the List, the tive of ‘Eurasian the Amur leopard. The outcome of preliminary works Autonomous noncommercial organization ‘Eurasian population. For that moment more than a half of leo- subspecies were classified as critically center of study, will serve the basis for functional zoning of the national center of study, saving and renewal of population of pard’s habitats were off the list of Protected Areas of endangered. saving and rene- park, development of eco-tourism on its territory, adap- leopards’ Russia. Sergei Ivanov was chosen the curator of the wal of population tive resource management. project, then First Deputy Chairman of the Government of leopards’ the Government of the Russian Federation Russia has assumed the responsibility for the efficient CONTACTS of the Russian Federation. By common effort of execu- on 5 April 2012 issued the order to establish ‘Zemlya preservation of the Amur leopard. However, the pro- +7 985 761 62 82 E-M@IL: [email protected] tive bodies, scientists, environmental and social organi- Leoparda’ (eng. Leopard’s Land) National Park. It gramme will be maximally efficient only in terms of mul- +7 926 837 63 99 [email protected] zations the concept of establishing a new national park stretches over 260,000 ha which will provide the preser- tilateral partnership – inside Russia, on the international +7 903 125 18 74 [email protected] of federal significance was substantiated. vation of 60% of the leopard’s habitat. and universal level. SITE: www.help-leopard.ru