Vladivostok started printing wall and pocket calendars with images of Amur tigers and Far Eastern leopards on 29 July, International Tiger Day. Calendars include illustrations by children who won competitions conducted by the Phoenix Foundation and the Leopard Land National Park.

The competitions One Day in the Amur Tiger’s Life and One Day in the Far Eastern Leopard’s Life were launched in January 2014. Far Eastern pupils were invited to draw rare cats in their natural habitat. Such competitions have been held in the region for the ninth year in order to draw children’s attention to the problem of conserving rare wild cats.

In 2014, the organisers received 1,312 drawings of tigers. At the same time, the geography of participants expands every year: The competition attracts more children from other regions, as well as from South Korea, where it has been held for the second year.

This year’s jury included for the first time representatives of national parks and reserves located in the southern part of Russia’s Far East. The organisers and jury faced a difficult task – to select the best drawings for 2015 wall calendars.

Although there were many brilliant drawings, only 54 of them were selected for calendars.

To encourage the participants, it was decided to print a special edition of pocket calendars with children’s drawings, which will be distributed to children of kindergarten and school age living in all the areas near the habitat of cat species.