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Aeroflot plane carries leopard symbol to support animal on verge of extinction

The first plane with leopard painted on board took off from Moscow to Samara on Monday

© ITAR-TASS/Vladimir Zinin

MOSCOW, December 29. /TASS/. A Sukhoi-Superjet-100 plane belonging to the Russian Aeroflot airlines, took off from Moscow airport on Monday with an unusual logo painted on board of the plane. It was a picture of a leopard whose protection as one of a jeopardized animal species Aeroflot has been promoting at the request of the " Far Eastern Leopard" organization. It was a first flight with the leopard symbol on a plane that Aeroflot performed to the city of Samara on Monday.

Booklets and photographs featuring the animal which faces a threat of extinction are available on board every Aeroflot plane which carries a leopard symbol, the Aeroflot staff said. Children on board the "leopard flights" are presented with ecological rucksacks which contain a book of leopard-shaped sketches the children are to paint in colors themselves, a set of color pencils and a map of the nature park - The Land of the Leopard."

"The Far Eastern Leopard" was established in 2011 as a non-governmental organization for purposes of coordinating all kinds of activity aimed at preservation of the leopard species. The leopard population numbers no more than 60 species in the world now, including 50 which remained in Russia.

Sergey Ivanov, Chief of the administration of the Russian president, is chairman of the “ Eastern Leopard” Observer Council.

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