Experts of Land of the Leopard National Park in the Primorye Territory have started a snow tracking initiative, which includes the study of wild animal tracks. The researchers plan to study the relationship between Amur tigers and Far Eastern leopards as well as to find out how tigers affect the leopard population.

During this snow tracking, all aspects of the animals’ activity along their way are registered. Special emphasis is put on any peculiar paw prints, markings, kills and night-time sleeping places. Also, tracks of hoofed animals, food for the wild cats, are being counted as well.

So far, there have been no recorded overlaps of Amur tiger and Far Eastern leopard trails. However, the two animals were found to be moving quite close to each other, only five kilometres apart.

“Over the last three days, our two groups have followed an adult male Amur tiger and a female Far Eastern leopard. We also followed two separate paths in order to count the tracks of the hoofed animals. We covered 30 kilometres in total. The deep snow is really holding us back, though” Dina Matyukhina, Land of the Leopard senior research associate noted.

Preliminary conclusions about the relationship between the two species will be made when the snow tracking is done. Land of the Leopard experts expect that the snow will stay until the end of the winter giving them enough time to get a better picture of how the two wild cats interact in the central and northern parts of the specially protected area, and to understand how they divide up territory in the national park.