14 DAY TRIAL // Reports issued by conservationists say that Russia's Far East is currently inhabited by about 50 Amur leopards. Under any other circumstances, this piece of news would be regarded as a rather bad one.
However, it was not very long ago when it was believed that only 25 such big cats were left to roam this part of Russia. Therefore, greenheads cannot help but rejoice at the news that the leopards are slowly but surely making a comeback.
Mongabay quotes WWF (World Wildlife Fund) member Yury Darman, who argued that “The Far Eastern leopard, the rarest cat on the Earth, is stepping back from the brink. We had started the recovery program in 2001 and now can be proud of almost 50 leopards in the wild.”
Good news aside, the WWF and other similar organizations warn that, though Russia's Amur leopard population has doubled, the species still runs the risk of becoming extinct. Because of this, further efforts to protect these cats are mandatory.
“While we cannot help but be gladdened by this fact, it is no reason to let down our guard,” the WWF says.