A trail camera mounted in the Kedrovaya Pad Nature Reserve of the Land of the Leopard National Park has captured unique footage of the mating rituals of Far Eastern leopards. The cameras recorded the mating of the young female leopard Bary and her partner Meamur.

“It was next to impossible to record the leopards’ mating rituals in the wild before, because of their extreme secretiveness,” said Yelena Salmanova, Deputy Director of the Land of the Leopard National Park. “The veil of secrecy was only lifted with the appearance of trail cameras. Two years after the first trail cameras were mounted in the park, we have a glimpse of a unique period in the life of Far Eastern leopards.”

The camera recorded the unusual behaviour of the leopards: the female leopard was in a playful mood, flirting with Meamur, who remained indifferent to her advances. Bary kept at it until late at night, when the leopards went off camera. It’s unclear what happened after that, but there is a chance that a new family has formed in the national park.