Once the leopard was widespread in the Caucasus and occupied almost all mountainous territories.

AT late XIX- At the beginning of the 20th century, the conflict between a man and a leopard became more and more acute, and the "mighty leopard" was outlawed. He was allowed to be killed at any time of the year and by any means, including nooses and poisoned baits. The ungulates that the leopard feeds on were also destroyed.

After the Revolution, the last refuge of the leopard was destroyed - the securely guarded mountain forest territory "Grand Duke Kuban Hunting". In 1924, the existing Caucasian Reserve, but mass poaching continued throughout the 1920s and 1930s, not to mention the time of the war.

By the 1950s, only a few leopards survived in the Caucasus. Today, leopards only occasionally enter the Russian Caucasus through the Transcaucasian republics from Northern Iran.

© Daniel Manganelli

© Daniel Manganelli

© Daniel Manganelli

How to return a leopard to the Caucasus?

The only way to bring the leopard back to the Russian Caucasus is through reintroduction.

Biologists call reintroduction the re-creation of a population that has completely disappeared in a given territory. The reintroduction of the leopard is a perennial and hard work. It is necessary to prepare the territory for the release of leopards into nature: to increase the number of ungulates, to strengthen protection from poachers. From selected pairs of Persian leopards in captivity, it is required to get offspring, and most importantly, to prepare the resulting kittens for independent life in the natural environment. Only those young leopards that successfully hunt and avoid humans can be released into the wild.

What has already been done to bring the leopard back to the Caucasus?

In 2005, the Program for the restoration of the leopard in the Caucasus was developed by WWF Russia experts together with scientists from the Institute of Ecology and Evolution named after A. A. N. Severtsova (IPEE RAS). In 2007 the program was approved by the Ministry natural resources and Ecology (Ministry of Natural Resources of Russia).

It was necessary to find funds to bring the project to life. Fortunately, two Russian companies— Rosa Khutor ski resort and VimpelCom (Beeline trademark) — decided to help WWF and started financing the construction of the Leopard Recovery Center in the Caucasus in Sochi national park.

In 2008, after the inclusion of the Persian leopard restoration program in the program of measures for environmental support XXII Olympic Games in Sochi in 2014 to finance construction works Russian Ministry of Natural Resources joined in.

In September 2009, two male leopards from Turkmenistan were brought to the Caucasus Leopard Recovery Center. In April 2010 - two females from Iran, in October 2012 - a pair of leopards from the Lisbon Zoo.

The first kittens appeared in the Center in July 2013 - a male and a female were born from a Lisbon couple, and in August two more leopard cubs appeared in a Turkmen male and an Iranian female.

In total, 19 kittens were born in the Center from 2013 to 2018.

The first release of leopards into the wild took place in July 2016 - three-year-old leopards Akhun and Victoria and two-year-old Killy were released on the territory of the Caucasian Reserve.

The next releases took place in 2018. Two-year-old Volna and Elbrus leopards were released in July in the territory of Alanya National Park in North Ossetia, which was the first event of its kind for the Republic. Their peer Artek was released a month later - in August. Mine new house leopard found on the territory of the Caucasian reserve.

Organized constant monitoring of released leopards. His data confirms that leopards are doing well - they are successful in hunting, avoiding humans and mastering the territory.

The program is implemented by the Ministry of Natural Resources and Ecology Russian Federation with the participation of the Sochi National Park, the Caucasus Nature Reserve, IPEE RAS, the Moscow Zoo, ANO "Center for the Nature of the Caucasus" and WWF Russia, as well as with the assistance of International Union Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and the European Association of Zoos and Aquariums (EAZA).

Exams for leopards Victoria and Akhun are almost three years old. The youngest of the future founders of a new population of leopards in the Caucasus, Killy, is almost two. Of these three, he is the most cautious and distrustful of people: due to either young age, or character. Such caution is one of the main qualities that every leopard must possess in order to successful life in wild nature. All three kittens were born at the Central Asian Leopard Recovery Center in the Caucasus, built in 2009 with the participation of WWF Russia near Sochi. Each inhabitant of the Center has its own name, history and pedigree. To breed future migrants into nature, animals are brought here literally from all over the world. Males Alous and General came from Turkmenistan, female Cherry came from Iran. In 2013, Akhun was born to Cherry and Alous, and Killy was born in 2014. Victoria's future parents - a pair of leopards Andrea and Zadig - came from the Lisbon Zoo. Another young male named Simbad arrived from the French Cat Park, and they also began to prepare him for release. Examinations for four leopards were held in May this year. Every spotted student had to catch a deer mountain sheep or roe deer, and demonstrate a careful attitude towards humans and livestock. Everyone coped with the hunt, but the Frenchman Simbad was not so easy with people and goats, and he would have to be left for the second year. “He hunts quite successfully, but, unfortunately, did not show correct behavior in relation to a person. Instead of running deep into the enclosure and hiding, he went out and was interested in both the person and the pet. Therefore, we decided to prepare him more, and if he still does not pass the exam, then he will be left for breeding. Animals that do not avoid humans should not be released,” explains the conservation project coordinator rare species animals WWF Russia Natalya Dronova. This may be due both to the nature of the leopard and to the fact that during the two years of living in the cat park, Simbad got used to visitors, the specialist notes.

The time for release was chosen the most favorable - the ungulates that cats feed on now graze low in the mountains along with teenage calves, which means that hunting for them should not be a problem for leopards. According to one of the initiators of the program, corresponding member of the Russian Academy of Sciences, director of the Institute of Ecology and Evolution named after V. A.N. Severtsov RAS Vyacheslav Rozhnov and Victoria, and Akhun and Killy "hunt wonderfully, they have a normally formed social behavior- that is, the attitude towards their own kind, and they all avoid a person. Naturally, we know who they are and what can be expected from them.” Each leopard considers a territory of about 100 square kilometers to be its land, but there should be enough space for everyone - the complex of specially protected natural areas in the region, taking into account the prospects for expansion, is about 1 million hectares. Pride of the Caucasus Two subspecies of the leopard live in Russia: the Far East and the Near East. And if far eastern leopard is present at least minimally - its number is about 70 individuals - the Persian leopard has not been in the Caucasus since the middle of the 20th century. Initially, the cats that inhabited almost all the mountainous territories of this region were completely destroyed due to the fault of man. Today, about 1000 individuals remain in the world, and they enter the territory of Russia only occasionally. Leopards live in Iran (according to various estimates, from 300 to 850), Afghanistan (200-300), Turkmenistan (90-100), Azerbaijan (10-13), Armenia (8-13), in Georgia and Turkey there are practically none left. In all these countries, the Persian leopard is under protection; in the Russian Red Book, it is classified as one - “threatened with extinction”. In total, scientists distinguish nine subspecies of the leopard. The subspecies, distributed from the Main Caucasian Range to the Red Sea and from the Bosphorus to Pakistan, is one of the largest in the world. Historically, in the Caucasus, the leopard was considered a symbol of courage and strength, and it is he who is depicted on the coats of arms of the North and South Ossetia. But in addition to restoring the living embodiment of the symbol of national pride for the return of the leopard to historical homeland There are other equally important reasons. The leopard is at the top of the ecological pyramid, and if the released cats do not leave the territory, this will mean that everything is in order with the ecosystem in the Caucasus.

“We worked with different groups of the local population and explained that with the advent of leopards there will be fewer wolves, that there will be more ungulates in a healthy ecosystem. The leopard has always lived next to a man, he returns home, and in fact it is the pride of the Caucasus. We explained that this is a Red Book animal, and not only production, but also storage and transportation of its parts is a criminal offense. And we handed out leaflets that said how to behave when meeting a leopard - that you should not be afraid, that you should not turn your back on him, run. If at first there was some negative - people have lost the habit of living next to leopards - now this wave has passed, ”says Dronova. The main thing that can now threaten this program is new initiatives Russian state. On June 24, the State Duma in the third adopted amendments to the law on specially protected natural areas, which will allow reducing the area of ​​nature reserves, building hotels on their territory and ski resorts, pave roads, and therefore destroy valuable ecosystems and natural objects under the pretext of creating "biospheric polygons". The ski resorts Rosa Khutor, Ober Khutor and Laura, which are owned by Gazprom and Interros, are most interested in the territories of the Caucasian Reserve. Prospect for the development of the reserve ski slopes and other sports facilities directly threatens the process of leopard recovery - blocking the only corridor for leopard resettlement in the Caucasus is fraught with the disruption of the entire long-term program for the return of cats to this region. World first experience The experience of reintroducing the leopard in the Caucasian biosphere reserve is the first experience of its kind in the world. Before them, from cats in captivity, only puma and Iberian lynx. Also, Russian ecologists have experience in returning to nature those who were forcedly removed from their natural environment Amur tigers. “For release into the wild, we prepared wild tiger cubs that we found in nature. The poachers shot the mother, and these cubs were bound to die. People saw them, reported, a special group went there and picked up these half-dead cubs. We have built special center rehabilitation of tiger cubs, raised them according to a special program and returned them to nature in those places where it was necessary to recreate the population Amur tiger. Now one of these tigresses has already brought kittens in nature, so we have experience, and this experience is being implemented with the Persian leopard,” Rozhnov explains. The program for the restoration of the leopard in the Caucasus was developed by WWF Russia experts together with scientists from the Institute of Ecology and Evolution named after A. A.N. Severtsov (IPEE RAS) in 2005. Today it is being implemented by the Ministry of Natural Resources and Ecology of the Russian Federation with the participation of the Sochi National Park, the Caucasus Nature Reserve, IPEE RAS, the Moscow Zoo and WWF Russia, as well as with the assistance of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and the European Association of Zoos and Aquariums (EAZA). In order for the population of the Persian leopard in the Caucasus to become sustainable and capable of self-reproduction, it must consist of at least 50 adults. The area where it was decided to release the first leopards had been preparing for this event for 10 years. The number of ungulates was gradually increased, so that at first it would be easier for leopards to get their own food, they educated the local population, and set up camera traps. “They examined the entire Caucasian Reserve, and looked at other parts of the Caucasian Range. Here good conditions to protect against poaching, few settlements. And we have created good conditions for the ungulates to reproduce themselves, and no one touches them - this is the best way to increase their numbers,” says Rozhnov. A month before the release, Victoria, Ahuna and Killy were given special radio collars, the signals from which allow you to track where each leopard is. The collar weighs no more than 700 g, and all three leopards have already got used to this outfit - besides, it does not interfere with their hunting in the least. After 62 weeks, the collars will self-reset, and with any luck, specialists will then be able to find them and put them on other animals.

At the Leopard Recovery Center from different couples 14 kittens were born, but, of course, it is impossible to release all of them into the wild. “The task of the Center is to prepare selected animals, then test and release them. But when forming a population, especially at the first stages, it is important that there is no inbreeding. One litter was related to the leopards that will be released, so it was immediately identified for transfer to European zoos to participate in the breeding program,” explains Dronova. The Center is eagerly awaiting news from the three zoos where leopard cubs are due to be born, and the date when it will be possible to vaccinate the newly born six kittens - their sex is still unknown. From all these kittens, the next candidates for release into the wild will be selected. If everything goes according to plan, then Victoria, Akhun and Killy will be able to find each other and multiply. Specialists will monitor the cats and adjust the methods of preparation and monitoring. “We will look for locations for a potential new release. For example, so that you can release a sister in one place, and her brother in another, to create different groups of animals. In order to form a stable self-reproducing group, it is desirable for us to release 3-4 individuals every year, ”Dronova shares her plans. You, too, can take part in the fate of one of the most advanced predators of the Earth and help restore the leopard population in the Caucasus. Maintenance of radio collars for Victoria, Akhun and Killy requires 2,500 rubles a month. One camera trap for monitoring leopards in conditions wildlife costs 25,000 rubles, and you need 20 such traps. One new radio collar so that you can release next group leopards, costs 450,000 rubles. The fundraising is organized by WWF, you can make a donation through the Leopard.ru website or by sending an SMS to 3443 with the word LEO and the amount of your donation. For example, LEO 500. Be sure to confirm the response SMS request.

Leopards, members of the cat family, are admired for their attractive and variegated coloration. Most large predator of this species is the Persian leopard, also known as the Caucasian or Persian. The maximum body length of this predator reaches 1.8 m. The height at the withers is about 0.75 m. The tail is long, from 95 to 115 cm, but shorter than the body. The mass of adults is in the range of 60-70 kg.

The Persian leopard is one of the largest leopard subspecies in the world. The length of their body is from 126 to 183 cm, the tail is 94-116 cm long. The skull is 20-25 cm long in males, 20-22 cm in females. The upper teeth of males reach a length of 68-75 mm, in females they are 64- 67 mm. The height of the animal is approximately 76 cm, the average weight reaches 70 kg.

Winter fur is very light and pale, grayish-buff, occasionally light gray with a sandy or red tint, expressed in the back. There are also individuals with a grayish-whitish main background, reminiscent of the color of the snow leopard. The spotted pattern is formed from relatively rare spots that are not completely black, but with a brownish tint. For summer fur, light and dark types of color are distinguished. Light type - grayish-ocher in color with a slight reddish tint. In the back and front of the body, it is always darker and more saturated. The spots on the body are mostly solid, small in size (up to 2 cm in diameter). Rosette-shaped spots are formed from 3-5 small spots. At the tip of the tail are completely black 3-4 rings covering it. On the back in the region of the sacrum there are two rows of large, up to 4 cm long and about 2.5 cm wide, elongated spots.

In the dark type of color, the dark and reddish basic background of the coat predominates. The spots on the skin are mostly large, solid, up to 3 cm in diameter, and relatively rare. Large spots in the region of the sacrum about 8 cm by 4 cm. Rosette-shaped spots are formed in full rings. The transverse rings on the tail almost completely cover the tail.

The basis of the diet of Persian leopards are medium-sized artiodactyl animals, namely, deer, bezoar goat, mouflon, Caucasian mountain goat and wild boar. In addition, they feed on foxes, jackals or other small prey: mice, hares, porcupines, mustelids, birds and reptiles. Occasionally, they may include half-decomposed corpses of animals in their diet. These predators are not distinguished by squeamishness, therefore they eat their prey along with the intestines, while the remains are hidden in bushes and other reliable places. For a long time can live without drinking water.

The population of the Persian leopards is small and consists of only 870 to 1300 individuals, but the distribution area of ​​this subspecies is quite wide, starting from the Main Caucasian Range and continuing to the Red Sea, and from the Bosphorus to Pakistan. The predator can be found on the territory of countries such as Azerbaijan, Armenia, Georgia, Turkmenistan, Afghanistan, Iran and Turkey, where it has adapted to the most different conditions a habitat. In the Caucasus, the Persian leopard adheres to mountain deciduous forests, sometimes descends lower, to thickets of shrubs in the foothills. AT Central Asia the animal is found exclusively in the mountains, in summer - in subalpine meadows, in winter - in the foothills. Places for life are chosen next to rocks, placers of stones and cliffs.

The Persian leopard is not characterized by pronounced sexual dimorphism; males and females of this subspecies almost do not differ in appearance. Females are usually slightly smaller than males.

It is typical for the Persian leopard to live in the same individual area for a long time. The animal makes small transitions only when pursuing its prey. The predator is most active in the evening and throughout the night until early morning, in cool weather it can also be observed during the day. When the Persian leopard hunts, it waits a long time for its prey, hides in a secluded corner, and only occasionally immediately chases after prey.

In general, this is a very cautious and secretive animal. The Persian leopard usually tries to hide, but protecting itself, it can even attack people. As shelters, he chooses gorges, inside which streams or dense thickets flow. AT deciduous forests can climb high in trees. He is not afraid of frost and heat, but the predator usually keeps far from water bodies.

Persian leopards reach puberty at the age of 3 years. Their breeding season takes place in December-January, after which kittens are born in April. In one brood, the female has up to 4 babies, but usually there are 2-3 of them. For the first three months of the life of newborns, they feed on milk, after which the female begins to feed them with meat, they learn to hunt and gradually switch to adult food. Kittens remain near the female until the age of one and a half years, after which they begin an independent life.

The catastrophic decrease in the population of the Persian leopard is the result of constant hunting for animals, economic development of their natural places habitat, as well as reducing the number of wild ungulates, which form the basis of the diet of this predator. To restore this subspecies, the Persian leopards are taken under protection on the territory of all countries where they live, in Russia there is even a special program to increase their numbers. In addition, the subspecies is listed in the Red Book of Russia as an endangered species and in the International Red Book.

The population of the Persian leopard is estimated at 870-1300 individuals. From 550 to 850 animals live on the territory of Iran, from 200 to 300 in Afghanistan, from 90 to 100 in Turkmenistan, only 10-13 in Azerbaijan, and 3-4 in Nagorno-Karabakh, 10-13 in Armenia, on the territory of Georgia and Turkey, approximately 5 individuals each.

The Persian leopard is one of the largest representatives of its species in the world. Listed in the Red Book as an endangered species. Does not like water, but climbs trees and rocks very well. Distributed in the Caucasus and Transcaucasia.

The leopard is a representative of the cats, an unusually beautiful animal. It has a brilliant golden color with random black or brown spots. Rosettes on wool darken towards the middle. A feature of the Persian leopard is several rows of large elongated spots on the back. Winter fur is thick and lush, in summer it is replaced by coarse and short. The tail is covered with transverse marks. Some representatives resemble the snow leopard in their color.

The height of an adult animal reaches 76 cm with a body weight of 70 kg. The average body length is 125-170 cm, the tail length is up to 115 cm. The male is slightly larger than the female. It has a larger skull and a longer top row of teeth.

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habitats

Western Asian leopards live in alpine meadows, deciduous forests and bushes, choosing a place near rocks and cliffs. It is found in the Caucasus, especially in the war zone. The largest number found in Iran and Afghanistan.

diet

The predator feeds on medium-sized artiodactyl animals. These are usually deer, goats, wild boars. Sometimes the diet includes game, reptiles and small predators.

Total population

The subspecies has long been listed in the Red Book, as it is on the verge of extinction. In total, there are about a thousand individuals in the world. It belongs to the first category of endangered animals.

In Russia, a special program has been created to increase the number of this animal. Two pairs of Persian leopards have been delivered to the Sochi Zoo, which are under special supervision. All conditions for their life and reproduction have been created.

Experts acknowledge that the only way to return the leopard to the Russian Caucasus is its reintroduction. In 2007, through the joint efforts of the Ministry of Natural Resources of Russia, the Sochi National Park, the Caucasian state reserve, Institute of Problems of Ecology and Evolution named after A.N. Severtsev RAS, World Fund Wildlife Organization (WWF) and the Moscow Zoo created and began to implement the Program for the restoration of the Persian leopard in the Caucasus.

The Persian leopard, one of the largest subspecies of leopards in the world, was widespread in the Caucasus and occupied almost all mountainous territories. Its main habitats were deaf mountain forests with rocks and gorges at an altitude of 1000-1500 to 3000 m or more above sea level. At the end of the 19th - beginning of the 20th century, its range covered the Greater Caucasus, the Lesser Caucasus, the valley of the Alazan River, Talysh and the middle reaches of the Araks River. In the late XIX - early XX centuries, the conflict between man and leopard became more and more acute, and the "mighty leopard" was outlawed. He was allowed to be killed at any time of the year and by any means, including nooses and poisoned baits. The ungulates that the leopard feeds on were also destroyed. After the revolution of 1917, the last refuge of the leopard was destroyed - the reliably guarded mountain-forest territory "Kuban Grand Duke Hunting". Only in 1924, these lands were returned to the protection regime and the current Caucasus Reserve was established. However, mass poaching and an increase in the number of settlements near the habitats of the leopard led to the fact that by the 1950s only a few of its individuals had survived in the Caucasus.

The total population of the Persian leopard in the world is estimated at 870-1300 individuals. Today leopards live in Iran (550-850), Afghanistan (200-300), Turkmenistan (90-100), Azerbaijan (10-13), Armenia (10-13), Georgia (less than 5), Turkey (less than 5) . In all states in whose territory the Persian leopard lives, it is under protection. The leopard is listed in Appendix I of the Convention on international trade types wildlife and endangered flora (CITES). In the Red Book of the Russian Federation, the Persian leopard under the name Panthera pardus ciscaucasica Satunin, 1914, as a species disappearing from the territory of Russia, is assigned to category 1

Experts have recognized that the only way to return the leopard to the Russian Caucasus is its reintroduction. In 2007, through the joint efforts of the Ministry of Natural Resources of Russia, the Sochi National Park, the Caucasian State Reserve, the A.N. Severtsev Institute of Ecology and Evolution of the Russian Academy of Sciences, the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) and the Moscow Zoo, the Program for the restoration of the Persian leopard in the Caucasus was created and began to be implemented. . This is a long-term project consisting of many important stages.

As a first step in the implementation of this program, the country's first and only Center for Breeding and Rehabilitation of the Persian Leopard was established in the Sochi National Park. In September 2009, two male leopards from Turkmenistan were brought to the Center. In April 2010 - two females from Iran, in October 2012 - a pair of leopards from the Lisbon Zoo.

In July 2013, the significant event: a pair of leopards had offspring - two kittens, and in August another pair had two more leopard cubs. A year later, in 2014, these four kids - Fisht, Victoria, Akhun and Grom have grown up and successfully master the skills of independent hunting. The fate of a leopard cub named Thunder turned out to be dramatic - his mother Cherie, being very young, abandoned him. Thunder lives in a separate enclosure. Grom literally went out the staff of the Rehabilitation Center. In the summer of 2014, four more leopard cubs were born. Specialists continue to work on caring for young animals, forming pairs and preparing the first grown leopards for release into the wild.

On the territory of the Eastern Department of the Caucasian Reserve in the interfluve of the Malaya Laba and Urushten rivers, a wildlife area is currently fenced off, where the first animals will be released according to the action plan. This area was chosen for temporary keeping of leopards because it is located at a considerable distance from settlements and tourist routes. In addition, wild ungulates abound and there are many natural shelters. Here, special security and biotechnical measures are carried out prior to the release of leopards.

A special protection and monitoring group is being created to control the condition and movement of released animals. All released leopards will be equipped with special satellite collars, and specialists will control their routes, both by virtual method and by ground tracking. Camera traps will be installed on the release territory, information from them will supplement satellite tracking data, and in case of loss or failure of the satellite collar, it will replace it. At this stage, it is very important to analyze and predict the behavior of animals, their ways of moving, and the exclusion of any contact between leopards and humans.
We will inform you on our website about what is happening at the Center for Breeding and Rehabilitation of the Persian Leopard, about how the stages of the project are going, what research is being carried out by specialists, how the life of leopards returned to the world of wildlife is developing.