VLADIVOSTOK, Russia, Oct. 24 A rare Amur leopard, one of an estimated 30 left in the wild, was captured in Russia and examined by conservation experts before being released.
Representatives of a consortium of conservation organizations -- including the Russian Academy of Sciences, the Wildlife Conservation Society and the Zoological Society of London -- captured the female Amur (Panthera pardus orientalis) in a remote location in the Russian Far East, along the Chinese border.
The animal was tranquilized and examined by a veterinary team.
The project's co-leaders, Russian biologist Alexei Kostyria and John Goodrich of the Wildlife Conservation Society, said the unprecedented level of international collaboration was essential if the critically endangered leopard is to avoid extinction.
There are between 24 and 32 Amur leopards living in the wild, making the animal the rarest big cat on Earth.
Since the wild population is so small, experts said it's important to determine if inbreeding is occurring in order to plan conservation programs.
There are currently approximately 130 Amur leopards in zoos across Europe and Russia; all part of a breeding program coordinated by the Zoological Society of London and the Moscow Zoo.
Copyright 2007 by UPI
