Global News - October 2007

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Rare leopard undergoes health check

Wed 24 October 2007 15:45 UK — Asia,Big Cats

News brought to you by International Animal Rescue, saving animals from suffering around the world.

An incredibly rare Amur leopard has been discovered in a remote region of Russia.

There are only thought to be 30 Amur leopards left alive in the wild, but a group of conservationists discovered another one in the isolated Primorsky Krai area of south-east Russia.

The team captured the animal to carry out a health check before releasing it back into the wild.

Alexei Kostyria, a biologist from the Institute of Biology and Soils in Vladivostok, co-led the project. He commented: "This capture represents a new benchmark in assessing the health of wild animals in Russia.

"We have brought together top experts from Russia and around the world and taken state-of-the-art equipment deep into the taiga to conduct medical assessments of the far eastern leopard.

"We have an unprecedented level of collaboration and remarkable effort that is essential if we are to save this critically endangered leopard."

Experts are concerned that the small population of Amur leopards means that interbreeding could be a serious problem. Regular health checks are needed to assess if any genetic disorders are developing.

Early findings suggest that this particular leopard could suffer from a heart murmur. More results are expected after laboratory analysis.

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