A young male Far Eastern leopard was captured in the vicinity of the rural town of Primorsky, Khasan District, close to the Kedrovaya Pad Nature Reserve (which is managed by Land of the Leopard). Specialists from the hunting supervision department took the wounded animal to the Centre for the Rehabilitation and Reintroduction of Tigers and Other Rare Animals in the village of Alekseyevka. A veterinary examination of the leopard showed that he had suffered bites in an attack by another predator — a leopard, according to the specialists.

"During the operation and wound treatment, specialists, in addition to fresh injuries, noticed previous wounds that have already cicatrised," said Yekaterina Blidchenko, a zoologist at the rehabilitation centre and staffer at Land of the Leopard. "According to one version, the predator grew weak in the first clash, and the second one proved lethal to him. He would not have survived without help. The main task now is to stabilise his condition."

Based on the typeof wounds on the leopard's head, stomach and other parts of his body, specialists have taken a bear, a tiger and dogs off the list of "suspects." Puncture wounds measuring between 0.5 centimetre and one centimetre are typical of injuries inflicted by cats.

So far, it is impossible to say what exactly triggered a likely conflict between two leopards. The predator might have been injured in a clash with another leopard over a female leopard or a territorial conflict.

The leopard is conscious now and is showing natural aggression towards humans.