A meeting on studying the transboundaryr movements of rare wild cats using trail cameras and DNA analysis took place in Harbin (China). Representatives of the Amur Tiger Centre, Land of the Leopard National Park and the Institute of Biology and Soil Science of the Russian Academy of Sciences in the Far East participated in the event.

The DNA monitoring of Amur tigers and Far Eastern leopards started earlier this year in north China, with support from the Russian Environment Ministry. At the first stage, experts collected samples of fur and feces. The materials were used to extract samples of the animals’ DNA at the Institute of Biology and Soil Science labs. During the final stage, the DNA samples are to be studied with special equipment in Harbin.

At the meeting, Russian, Chinese and South Korean experts discussed the scope and timeline of the research. According to preliminary estimates, 250 DNA samples of rare wild cats from the two countries will be sent to the labs. The research may take several months, after which the samples will be studied again at Seoul National University.

Sergei Aramilev, director of the Primorye branch of the Amur Tiger Centre, noted that over the past years, the data available on the population of Amur tigers and Far Eastern leopards in China has significantly expanded, owing in part to the project.

“The upward trend in the number of the two rare wild cats in China is partially due to the work of Russian government and public organisations. Most of the leopards and tigers inhabiting these areas move across the Russian-Chinese border. Also, I would like to note the efforts of our colleagues from China, because the animals have been spotted further away from the border, and there have been sightings of females with cubs,” Sergei Aramilev added.