Russian singer Dima Bilan has joined the conservation programme for Far Easter leopards, the rarest big cat on the planet. The singer has become the keeper of a spotted predator, Leo 168M, who lives in Land of the Leopard National Park and whom he named Viktor.

Now the singer will receive regular updates about the leopard thanks to camera traps installed in the protected area.

“I was stunned and very pleased by the offer to become a leopard keeper. Lately, a lot of cats have appeared in my life. I began to help them, and in some cases even rescued them, so the opportunity to become a leopard keeper seemed a logical continuation of those efforts. I named the leopard Viktor, which means ‘winner.’ This name is prominent in many languages of the world and in Russia. I am very happy to be involved in some way in the future of this leopard. I am planning to visit his home, Land of the Leopard National Park, in person,” Dima Bilan noted.

Viktor (Leo 168M) is a young feline aged about three or four years. He lives in the valley of the Tsukanovka River near the Chinese border. Several camera traps have spotted the leopard there for two years now. The male appears regularly in front of the cameras, showing off his fit physique and ambitious character. In most pictures Viktor is moving around and actively exploring his grounds.

“Leo 168M is young and active like his keeper. Dima Bilan is not only known as a great performer but also as an environmental activist. We are delighted to see that he supports our programme and believe that his focus on the efforts to preserve Far Eastern leopards will help bring it to a larger audience. This is a significant contribution,” said Viktor Bardyuk, director of Land of the Leopard.

Leopard keepers are somewhat like “godparents” to the rare felines. By willing to help protect the unique nature in Land of the Leopard, the keepers get the right to choose a name for one of the leopards regularly spotted by camera traps in the national park. Researchers distinguish between the felines thanks to the spot patterns on their sides, which are unique to each leopard. After an adult animal is first caught on camera, it is assigned an ID in the Leo 01M format, where Leo is the species of the animal, 01 is the serial number, and M/F is its sex (male or female).

Special Presidential Representative for Environmental Protection, Ecology and Transport Sergei Ivanov, Presidential Plenipotentiary Envoy to the Far Eastern Federal District Yury Trutnev, film actress and model Pamela Anderson, film actor Steven Seagal, TV presenter Nikolai Drozdov, leader of the Mumy Troll band Ilya Lagutenko, the Russian Television and Radio Broadcasting Company (VGTRK), Gazprombank and Rosatom among others take part in the keeper programme.