WWF establishes preserve for Amur leopards in Russia
April 11, 2012
A new park has been established in the Far East region of Russia by World Wildlife Fund (WWF) in an effort to save the Amur leopard from extinction. WWF states there are fewer than 40 of these large felines living in the wild. The Land of the Leopard National Park encompasses about 60 percent of the amur leopard's natural habitat, which will hopefully help facilitate reintroduction of the species to the wild.
"Amur leopards are literally teetering on the brink of extinction," said Dr. Sybille Klenzendorf, head of WWF's species program. "With the establishment of Land of the Leopard National Park, in conjunction with other conservation efforts, we can now start to focus on how to begin bringing them back."
The park, which encompasses nearly 650,000 acres of land, will be sectioned off into protected areas, economic development zones, eco-tourism areas and forested regions.
Those who want to find out more about the new park can make calls to Russia with international phone cards to ask their friends about the conservation project.