New “census” of Far Eastern leopards is completed in Primorye

Scientists of the Directorate “Land of the Leopard” finish counting the Far Eastern leopards in southern Primorye. According to preliminary data, at the moment, the positive dynamics of the number of red book cats remains. The full results of the research will be announced at a press conference on April 5. The Far Eastern leopard is one of the rarest cats in the world.

The core of the only wild population on the planet is located in the south of Primorsky Krai, where this subspecies has been preserved in the Land of the Leopard National Park since 2012. Thanks to many years of protection, the number of spotted cats increased from 35 to 125 individuals, but this is not the limit. Every year, scientists of the Land of the Leopard determine the actual number of rare animals. Preliminary results of current studies show positive dynamics of the Far Eastern leopard population. The current number of the subspecies will be announced at a traditional press conference, which will be held on April 5 at the city office of Land of the Leopard. Scientists are helping to determine the number of the Far Eastern leopard by the largest photomonitoring network in Russia. On the territory of the Land of the Leopard, 450 automatic forest cameras are installed, which capture predators in photos and videos. This data is analyzed using a special program for individual identification. As a result, each individual can be identified by a unique spotted pattern on the skin.

The Department of Science processes a huge amount of materials with the inhabitants of the “Land of the Leopard”, we are talking about hundreds of thousands of pictures with animals per year. The network of camera traps covers an area of more than 300 thousand hectares, artificial intelligence is used to sort data. Such a large-scale work allows you to obtain accurate data, - said Victor Bardyuk, Director of the FGBI "Land of the Leopard".

It is worth noting that kittens of the leopard are considered separately. So, in 2023, 13 kittens and 125 adults were recorded in the territories of the “Land of the Leopard”. National Park "Land of the Leopard" is located in the south-west of Primorsky Krai. It preserves unique natural complexes in which the taiga meets the jungle. Within the same habitats there are a leopard and a brown bear, an Indian marten and a cabarga characteristic of Siberian forests. Material and photos prepared and provided by the National Park "Land of the Leopard"