Land of the Leopard National Park the Korean Tiger and Leopard Conservation Fund signed a memorandum of understanding, which outlines the key points of cooperation aimed at the conservation of these rare cats. The organisations reached an agreement as part of the working visit of the national park’s representatives to Seoul at the invitation of South Korean researchers.

The organisations intend to cooperate in genetic research, particularly the DNA-analysis of the samples collected in Land of the Leopard National Park. The fund will promote eco-tourism programmes in the national park, organise tourist groups and sell souvenirs.

“Our long-term goal is to help the Far Eastern leopard and the Amur tiger expand their habitat to the Korean Peninsula. Therefore, it is extremely important to preserve the population of these cats in Russia and raise environmental awareness in Korea,” Professor Hang Lee, Chair of the Korean Tiger and Leopard Conservation Fund said.

In 2015, South Korea launched comprehensive research, which included a survey of citizens regarding their attitude towards the big cats and the possible life near them. The survey revealed that South Koreans supported increasing the predators’ population, but that there was also a need to build environmental awareness. Professor Hang Lee presented the results of the research at the International Workshop on Rehabilitation and Reintroduction of Large Carnivores, which was held in Moscow on 25-27 November 2015.

The fact the South Korean experts are already taking particular actions despite the long-term prospects for the potential return of the leopards to these lands is encouraging. We will combine efforts to reach our common objective: to preserve the leopard,” Land of the Leopard National Park director Tatyana Baranovskaya said.

A few decades ago, Far Eastern leopards lived all over the entire Korean Peninsula. The Korean Tiger and Leopard Conservation Fund was created in 2004 to study the potential restoration of the leopard population in Korea.