Land of the Leopard National Park is no longer accepting entries for the Leopard Keeper contest. Around 200 people are competing for the honour to name seven Far Eastern leopards by demonstrating their commitment to the rare animal’s conservation.

Contestants include individuals from all walks of life as well as organisations, such as eco-patrols, schools and volunteer squads with long-time ties to Land of the Leopard. The park’s employees also got to know many new people and groups through the contest.

“Though the leopards are yet to be named, the first results are already available,” Valentina Pichigina, head of the environmental education department at Land of the Leopard, said in an interview. “This contest has made many people aware of the problem and encouraged them to participate in the leopard conservation programme. Even in areas that are quite far from the Primorye Territory, activists held actions in support of leopard conservation, while journalists and bloggers contributed to the cause by publishing materials about this animal.”

A jury will select finalists by 9 February. The jurors include Land of the Leopard employees, volunteers and representatives of the park’s sponsors, among them the Wildlife Conservation Society, the Phoenix Environmental Protection Foundation and the Russian Geographical Society. Entries will be judged by the following criteria: environmental significance, feasibility of environmental events, number of people reached, and creativity. Each of the winners will choose a name for one the seven leopards picked for the Leopard Keeper contest.