Presidential Chief of Staff Sergei Ivanov chaired a meeting of the Supervisory Board of the Far Eastern Leopards Autonomous Non-Profit Organisation.

In his opening remarks, Sergei Ivanov noted that this is the first meeting of the leadership of the rebranded organisation. The former autonomous non-profit organisation, the Eurasian Centre for the Study, Preservation and Restoration of the Leopard Population, has been given a simpler and more concise name, Far Eastern Leopards.

The board members considered some priority issues that are to be addressed by the management of Land of the Leopard National Park over the next two years. In addition to the regular projects such as scientific research, photo monitoring, biotechnical activities and improving security, a major infrastructural project aimed at the development of eco-tourism will be implemented.

Another important issue on the meeting agenda was the need to further develop cooperation with the Primorye Territory’s police and security agencies, especially with the special taskforce set up by the regional interior department, to combat environmental crime.

One of the key issues on the agenda was the reintroduction of the Far Eastern leopard. The participants discussed setting up a second (back-up) Far Eastern leopard group, which should increase the population and genetic variety of the species. The local Lazovsky Nature Reserve is being considered as the possible site for the project.

This should become an important area of the organisation’s activity, given that the population of Far Eastern leopards in the wild is about a quarter of that kept in the zoos around the world, Ivanov added.