A reintroduction center for the Far Eastern leopard, the rarest large cat on the planet, is scheduled to open in the Lazovsky Nature Reserve in three years. Its construction will be financed by WWF Russia.
This was discussed the other day at a meeting at the Roszapovedtsentr of the Ministry of Natural Resources of the Russian Federation. At the meeting, it was decided to develop a roadmap for the construction of the center with specific deadlines.
“By the end of 2024, it is planned to open a center with at least two pairs of Far Eastern leopards. Kittens born to these couples, reared and prepared for life in their natural habitat, will be released on the territory of the Lazovsky nature reserve,” the Roszapovedtsentr said in a statement following the meeting.
According to experts, within the boundaries of the Lazovsky Nature Reserve (Primorsky Territory) and in adjacent territories there are vast habitats for the settlement of animals, a stable number of ungulates. They also note a suitable climate and a low level of anthropogenic impact and population compared to other areas of the region in the historical range of the Far Eastern leopard.
As Roszapovedtsentr reported with reference to the director of the World Wildlife Fund WWF Russia Dmitry Gorshkov, despite the increased prices and a strong rise in the cost of the project, the fund will finance the construction of the center in full.
