The unique Center for the revival of the Persian leopard population in the Caucasus in Sochi will be open for visits

The Leopard Restoration Center in the Caucasus was founded in 2009 at the initiative of Russian President Vladimir Putin to preserve the population of Persian leopards in the Caucasus. Specialists in Sochi were the first in the world who managed to form a pair, obtain offspring from wild leopards, prepare them for independent life and release them into their natural habitat. Now the Center contains 13 individuals of the Central Asian leopard - 8 adults and 5 cubs, which scientists are systematically preparing for release into the wild. In total, during the work of the Center, specialists have released ten leopards into the wild.We need to support the Center, which now exists at such a high level only thanks to the work of competent specialists. But, a lot of time has passed since the day of its foundation, and it requires an upgrade of the complex, modernization of monitoring points. There are companies and sponsors who are ready to take part in the development of the complex. This issue is on my personal control, said the head of the Russian Ministry of Natural Resources Alexander Kozlov, who visited the Leopard Restoration Center in the Caucasus.

For 12 years, the infrastructure of the complex has been significantly modernized and adapted for contactless work with individuals undergoing a reintroduction program. Now a new vector of development has appeared - the opening of part of the territory for visiting by tourists and residents of the city. It is planned to build a new visitor center, which will be equipped with modern equipment. Guests will be able to watch the life of leopards on the screen of monitors. This will require the modernization of infrastructure and the introduction of new technical solutions. Also during the visit of the Minister of Nature to the Center, it was decided to establish a dialogue with Iran to obtain wild leopards from this country.