Far Eastern leopards have started using the passage over the Narvinsky Tunnel. Specialists at Land of the Leopard National Park discovered leopard tracks on the specially constructed passage, and camera traps recorded one leopard, a female* known as Leo 92F. The video footage shows clearly how the leopardess crossed the passage, paying no attention to the headlights and car engines. As well as the spotted wild cat, the video footage also caught the passing cars.

“The return of Far Eastern leopards to the Narvinsky Pass is a symbol of how people’s attitude towards nature is changing,” said Tatyana Baranovskaya, director of Land of the Leopard National Park. “There is no doubt that we took the right decision to build the passage right at the heart of Land of the Leopard. The leopardess recorded by the camera traps looks perfectly healthy, a female leopard at the peak of her form.”

Camera traps at the Narvinsky Pass have already spotted other animals living in the park.  Deer, roe deer, boars and Himalayan bears are all using the passage actively.

The Narvinsky Tunnel was completed in March 2016. The tunnel is 575 metres long, 5 metres high, and 9.25 metres wide, and lies on the Khasan-Razdolnoye motorway, which crosses Land of the Leopard National Park.

*At the time of writing (February 2017), the sex of the leopard was determined incorrectly. According to information received later, Leo 92M is a male leopard.