Strategy for conservation of the Far-Eastern leopard in the Russian Federation

The Far-Eastern leopard (Panthera pardus orientalis) is the rarest subspecies of the Felidae family. In the 19th century it had a vast habitat that included the northern region of Korea, eastern provinces of China and the southern region of the Sikhote-Alin Mountains (Primorsky Krai). However, by the 20th century, its habitat began to drastically shrink. By the mid-20th century, the Far-Eastern leopard could no longer be found in Korea. In our century, the Far-Eastern leopard can only be found in those Chinese provinces that border the Russian Federation. By the 1980’s the existence of the Far-Eastern leopard could not be confirmed in the Sikhote-Alin Mountans and the northwestern region of Primorsky Krai. The only existing population of the Far-Eastern leopard has its habitat in the south-western region of Primorsky Krai.

The Far-Eastern leopard is included in the Red Data Book of the Russian Federation and the IUCN Red List of Threatened species. The conservation of the leopard is regulated by a number of laws: “Law on Environmental Protection”, “Law on Protected Areas of Russia”, “Law on the Wildlife of the Russian Federation” and “Law on the conservation of hunting resources and amendments on specific legal frameworks in the Russian Federation”. The leopard is also covered by international agreements signed by the Russian Federation: the Convention on Biological Diversity and the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Flora and Fauna (CITES).

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