Interactive displays feature prominently in the first festival of the Russian Geographical Society at the Central House of Artists in Moscow. Guests can learn about this rarest of big cats, and vote for the name of one leopard being monitored by scientists. 

The festival’s displays were set up by Land of the Leopard National Park and the Far Eastern Leopards non-profit organisation. Stands with professional photos of the spotted predators have been installed at several sites, three of which feature interactive events.

The most popular activity with the exhibition’s visitors is selecting a name for one of the spotted predators. The Russian Geographical Society initially asked employees to name the male leopard known as Leo12M, but then decided to open the voting up to festival visitors. The winning name will be chosen on 5 November after the voting is complete.

The “Spotted Family” documentary series about Far Eastern leopards is popular with visitors. It is shown in an improvised lean-to built in the centre of the exhibition hall, giving visitors a sense of what it’s like to be a photographer taking photos of the predator from a special shelter. 

“The Russian Geographical Society Festival is a wonderful event that allows us to share information about the rarest big cat in the world and about our efforts to conserve it,” said Yelena Salmanova, deputy director of the Land of the Leopard federal state budgetary institution. “Every visitor taking part in our events can feel closer to this unique animal and understand the importance of protecting it.”

The Far Eastern leopard displays at the festival will stay up until the exhibition closes on 6 November. Visitors to the national park will be able to vote for the best leopard name, see a film about the animal, get their faces painted like a leopard and have a photo of them taken by trail cameras used to photograph animals in the woods.