Minister of Natural Resources and Environment Sergei Donskoi has congratulated the management and staff of Land of the Leopard National Park on its fifth anniversary and wished them success in deepening their research, conservation and educational activities, the ministry’s press service said in a release.

According to the release, the park’s main mission is to preserve and restore the world’s only population of Far Eastern leopards, which numbered some 30 animals before the national park was created. During the winter count season in early 2015, the park’s personnel reported sighting between 60 and 70 animals, including 57 in the national park. The count was conducted jointly with specialists from the Far Eastern Leopards autonomous non-profit organisation.

Apart from the leopards, there are also Amur tigers, Himalayan bears, sika deer, musk deer, roe deer, Amur gorals, boars, Far Eastern wildcats, raccoon dogs, weasels, Manchurian hares, squirrels and many other animals in the national park.