One of the oldest Far Eastern leopards has been spotted in Land of the Leopard National Park in the Primorye Territory. The male leopard has lived in the wild for at least 14 years, but still likes to play and has the contented bearing of a healthy animal.

Researchers obtained trail camera images of one of the 121 rarest leopards in the world, Leo 36 M, named Armeyets (Army Man). It stands out for its advanced age, given that the average life span of these rare cats is 10-12 years in the wild. Far Eastern leopards who live to this age are very rare. Earlier, researchers had obtained information that only about five such animals had reached the age of 14-17 years.

“It is a joy that an increasing number of leopards are reaching such an advanced age, and at the same time, remaining active, giving us hope that there will be more of them. Living in a specially protected area, the animals are safe and have enough resources to live a full life,” said Taisiya Marchenkova, employee at the Land of the Leopard Research Department.

In 2015, Leo 36M was given his name by members of the Central Army Sports Club (CSKA).