MAIKOP, June 21. /TASS/. Four Persian leopards brought up at Russia’s leopard reintroduction center in the North Caucasus, have successfully passed exams and are ready to live in the wild, the director general of the Caucasus Nature Center, Renata Shushayte, said on Thursday.
According to the experts, two males - Artek and Elbrus, and two female leopards - Bagira and Volna, are ready to make their debut into the wild in the Caucasus.
The experts assessed their reaction to other leopards, reaction to humans and humans with domestic animals. They also analyzed their hunting skills - ability to trace and kill different kinds of animals. The behavior of four Persian leopards has been assessed during the period of their activity, not only during the day, but also in the morning and evening hours, the director general said.
She said "the key tests, in particular reaction to humans, were conducted in stress conditions for the animals - against the backdrop of fodder shortage. Thus, the experts could maximally fully assess the level of leopards’ potential threat to humans, as theoretically their encounter is possible. "All leopards have demonstrated a stable reaction of avoiding people - they are ready to live in the wild and won’t be a threat to human lives even if their paths cross," Shushayte said.
On the heels of the experts’ verdict, the participants in the program to restore the Persian leopard population will decide on when and where the young wild animals will be released into the wild, she said.
Until the middle of the 20th century, Persian leopards were common in the Caucasus. But by 1950, their population had dramatically decreased, and was entirely extinct in some areas due to human activities.
In 2004-2005, there were only 10-15 Persian leopards living in the wild in Russia. In 2005, experts from WWF-Russia and the Russian Academy of Sciences came forward with a long-term plan to reintroduce Persian leopards in the Caucasus. The program has been enjoying support by Russian President Vladimir Putin since 2009.
In 2009, a leopard reintroduction center opened at a nature reserve near the Black Sea resort city of Sochi, with support from WWF.
The first leopards - Akhun, Viktoria and Kili - were released into the wild in July 2016. Viktoria died in January, 2017.