NOUVELLE STRATEGIE POUR LES LEOPARDS DE L'AMOUR

Source : WWF Russia, ce jour

Experts and leading scientific and public organizations, including WWF, have completed work on

"The draft Conservation Strategy of the Amur leopard in the Russian Federation."

If the first version of the "Strategy" was a list of emergency measures to eliminate threats to the complete disappearance of the subspecies, the current project - a long-term program of coordinated actions of various agencies and organizations to restore a sustainable population.

  "Conservation Strategy for the Far Eastern leopard in Russia" was developed and approved in 1998.   Its main provisions are now largely completed. Since that time there were not only structural and administrative changes in the bodies of wildlife and natural resources and greatly changed the legislative framework in the sphere of nature, but the changed socio-economic situation in the south of Primorye.  The issue of developing a new strategy for conservation of the Amur leopard has become urgent.  Therefore, the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) took the initiative in editing, compiling and publishing the draft of this public document.

The draft strategy is based on the latest data on the biology and ecology of the leopard, the modern experience, both in the immediate protection of the predator and the preservation of its habitat. The strategy reflects the required changes in the existing Russian legislation in the field of environmental protection. In addition, the paper describes the modern methods of census and studies of the ecology of the Amur leopard, many of which are advanced.

"Today the situation is very much in keeping leopard changes radically.  The process of establishing a national park "Earth leopard", new research projects and rehabilitation program in the southern leopard Sikhote Alin is no longer a dream, created   "Euro-Asian Research Center, preserve and restore populations of leopards" - the director of the Amur branch of WWF Russia's Yuri Darman. - And in this new environment, we just need a strategic document, which would coordinate all these activities, subject them to a single strategic logic. "

The draft Strategy has been prepared by the Institute of Biology and Soil and the Pacific Institute of Geography, Russian Academy of Sciences, WWF Russia and the Moscow Zoo in response to the request of the Prime Minister on a proposal from the Office of hunting supervision of Primorsky Krai.  In addition to the draft Strategy into account the proposals of state agencies responsible for saving the leopard and public interest organizations. Draft Strategy considered and approved the working group established in the symposium   "The state population of the leopard" in the international scientific-practical conference   "Amur tiger in Northeast Asia: Challenges for the 21 Century" (Beijing, 15-17 March 2010).  The Draft Strategy aims to review and approval by the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment.