Russia's Endangered Amur Leopard Population Has Climbed, Officials Say

Russian authorities say the population of the critically endangered Amur leopard has increased slightly, a sign they say of improving conservation measures and habitat protection. Officials at the Land of the Leopard national park, a territory in the Pacific region of Primorye, said on April 5 that the park’s leopard population has risen to 129 adult cats, up from 125 last year, along with at least 14 cubs. Marina Syritsya, a scientist at the park, which stretches along the border with China, was quoted by TASS as saying that tourists are also reporting more encounters with leopards. Known also as the Manchurian leopard, the Amur leopard is among the rarest big cats in the world. Primorye is also home to the Siberian tiger (also know as the Ussurskiy or Amur tiger), whose populations have also crept upward in recent years.