Pioneer of the North: wild leopard discovered in new territory in Primorye

Russian scientists for the first time confirmed the presence of the Far Eastern leopard in the October municipal district of Primorsky Krai, tens of kilometers north of the population core in the national park “Land of the Leopard”. The presence of the Red Book animal in lands remote from the national park - north-west of the city of Ussuriysk - has been confirmed by scientists from the Directorate of Reserves "Land of the Leopard". Specialists carefully checked reports of local residents about encounters with a large cat, found traces of a predator and captured it with a camera trap. Analysis of the obtained images showed the reliability of the assumptions of scientists that the pioneer of these lands is a young settling male. According to the unique pattern of spots on the skin of the leopard, coincidences were found in the database: earlier, in 2023, he was noted on the “Land of the Leopard”, being still a kitten, accompanied by his mother. The direct distance between the photo registration point of 2023 and its new territory reaches 56 km. Now the age of the leopard is from 1.5 to 2 years. Importantly, during the investigation of this unusual case, experts also confirmed a hypothesis formed over decades of studying Far Eastern leopards in the wild: large rivers are an insurmountable obstacle for rare cats. The Razdolnaya River, on the right bank of which the young male spent several days in search of a crossing, is the largest watercourse of southern Primorye. Inspection of the tracks of the leopard showed that he did not venture to cross the main channel.

“The density of the leopard population in protected areas has increased significantly in recent years, so young animals are looking for ways to develop the lands from which they disappeared in the past,” said Dina Matyukhin, senior researcher at the Land of the Leopard Science Department. At the same time, thanks to its natural adaptability, leopards can overcome vast areas disturbed as a result of economic development of habitats. And as a result, the split becomes perhaps the most important test along the way. At present, it is not known why water barriers restrict the movement of animals, this is the subject of further research. Based on local reports, we assume that the leopard crossed the river over a road bridge and left in a northerly direction. In the future, such reports of encounters with leopards and traces of their presence will also be checked by experts. This is also necessary for the search and survey of potential ecological corridors for the resettlement of animals that may follow the pioneer leopard. Specialists of the "Land of the Leopard" note the responsiveness and indifference of local residents, who promptly reported meetings with the Red Book animal and assisted scientists in collecting information about the movements of the beast. The Department of Environmental Education “Land of the Leopard” plans to hold meetings with residents of the Oktyabrsky District dedicated to the new “neighbor” – the Far Eastern leopard. However, when developing new territories, leopards can face a variety of threats, such as poaching, conflict with people and habitat loss. We must do everything possible to preserve the Far Eastern leopard and its home, the nature of Primorye, said Viktor Bardyuk, director of the FGBI “Land of the Leopard”. Due to human influence in the twentieth century, these animals were on the verge of extinction, but thanks to a number of conservation measures, their lives were saved, increasing the population by three times to 129 individuals recorded today. For a long time, the last frontier of the rarest cats was the territory of the Land of the Leopard National Park in the Hasan municipal district, but over time they went beyond the protected areas. The material and photos were prepared and provided by the National Park "Land of the Leopard".