Russia and China plan to conduct an annual census of the Far Eastern leopard population

Brief retelling from RIA II

Russia and China intend to annually conduct a census of the joint population of the Far Eastern leopard.

According to the results of the first general census, 223 leopards were recorded in the transboundary reserve “Land of Big Cats,” including 115 in Chinese territory.

The count will be carried out using camera traps, which make it possible to recognize individual individuals and assess the state of the population.

VLADIVOSTOK, September 4 – RIA Novosti. Russia and China intend to conduct annual censuses of the joint population of the rare Far Eastern leopard, Viktor Bardyuk, head of the Land of the Leopard reserves directorate, said in an interview with RIA Novosti at the Eastern Economic Forum.

Earlier, Land of the Leopard reported that following the results of the first general census, 223 leopards were recorded in the Land of Big Cats transboundary reserve jointly with China, including 115 on Chinese territory, and 51 Amur tigers were also counted.

“Every year (we will carry out accounting - ed.). We counted in 2024, started counting in 2025... Scientists are conducting this work, we are committed to annual accounting,” said the agency’s interlocutor.

He noted that the count will be carried out using camera traps - they allow the recognition of individual individuals.

“The census makes it possible to assess the state of the population, the age composition. So far, everything is fine. There are more females than males on both our and the Chinese sides,” Bardyuk noted.

The Far Eastern leopard is one of the rarest large cats in the world. These predators live only in the southwest of Primorsky Krai, as well as in a small area of ​​China bordering Russia. Also, several individuals were spotted near the border with the DPRK. The core of the population is in the Land of the Leopard national park in Primorye.