A census of endangered Far Eastern leopards, due to begin on Friday, March 15, was postponed due to severe cold in the Khasan District, which makes snow dry and crunchy, so it is difficult to track the animals. The temperature has been at minus 32-34 centigrade in south Primorye for several days now. A warm spell is expected next week, which will make the census possible.

Experts will traverse more than 1,000 kilometres on set itineraries over the course of three days to count leopard tracks, measure footprints, register their direction, and collect feces for tests.

Far Eastern leopards have not been counted since 2007.