The Caucasian Biosphere Reserve is in Talks with Turkmenistan, Pakistan, and Other Countries about the Possible Transfer of Wild Leopards to Russia.
According to TASS, citing Sergey Shevelev, Acting Director of Sochi National Park and Director of the Caucasian Biosphere Reserve, negotiations began three months ago with various countries to start a program aimed at transferring new breeding stock of leopards to the reserve, which is currently experiencing a shortage.
According to estimates by the Central Asian Mammal Initiative, Turkmenistan is home to the world’s second-largest population of the Persian leopard (Panthera pardus) after Iran. This leopard subspecies is classified as "endangered" by the IUCN Red List, with its range spanning between nine and thirteen countries, though in some regions, the population has dwindled to just a few individuals.
The Caucasian Biosphere Reserve, Russia's oldest mountain forest conservation zone established nearly 100 years ago, has a long history of preservation. Persian leopards disappeared from the Western Caucasus over 80 years ago, migrating to other regions. It was only in 2016 that scientists succeeded in reintroducing several individuals of this species to their native habitat.
Previously, Turkmenistan transferred two leopards, named Alous and Cherry, to Russia, who subsequently gave birth to 13 cubs over the years. The two most recent cubs—Achipse, a female, and Chilmas, a male—were released into the wild. Currently, however, this pair has reached post-reproductive age, prompting the need for new leopard families to help specialists continue restoring the population of this rare species.
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