Chief of Staff of the Presidential Executive Office and Chair of the Supervisory Board of the Far Eastern Leopards autonomous non-profit organisation Sergei Ivanov discussed rare animal protection with representatives of the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) on December 7 at the Kremlin. American actress and IFAW Consultative Council member Pamela Anderson, IFAW Vice President for Development Andrew Wilson and Russian Minister of Natural Resources and Environment Sergei Donskoi attended the meeting.

Mr Ivanov told his guests about the projects on protecting Far Eastern leopards, Amur tigers, white whales, polar bears and other rare animals. He also said that Russian experts actively participate in international animal protection projects.

Mr Ivanov said Russia has adopted a number of legal measures to toughen its fight against poaching, including the sale and purchase of rare species. The country has established special police units in some regions, including the Far East, tasked with enforcing these measures, which, according to Mr Ivanov, are already producing results: the number of Far Eastern leopards is increasing.

“Leopards were on the brink of extinction several years ago when we started taking practical measures to protect them. There were only 30-40 leopards left. Now their number is about 80,” Mr Ivanov said.

The Chief of Staff of the Presidential Executive Office presented Pamela Anderson with a Leopard Keeper certificate and an image of a leopardess. The actress named the rare cat in honour of herself. Pamela Anderson’s “godchild” lives on the border between Land of the Leopard National Park and China. Scientists note that her image is often captured by camera traps. The images prove that she is very active and is not afraid of the cameras.