WARNING: GRAPHIC AND DISTRESSING CONTENT
This extraordinary footage captures a wild, critically endangered Amur leopard finally out in public and on the road to recovery after being rescued following a car accident.
Carers said they had grown accustomed to not seeing the secretive and elusive leopard at all until it suddenly emerged in its enclosure, where it is being looked after at Moscow Zoo, Russia.
The feline, given the name Elbrus, showed himself to zookeepers at the zoo in Russia on 6th July, after recovering from the consequences of a car accident when he was found dying on 3rd March 2019 and taken to the Rehabilitation Center for Tigers and Other Rare Animals in Vladivostok.
He was not expected to survive, but in fact, he did and regained an additional 11 kilogrammes (24 lbs) before being released into an open enclosure, where he constantly hid from sight.
Keepers made sure to avoid contact as much as possible so he could eventually be released back into the wild.
But the injury to his shoulder did not heal, and although he managed to hunt some prey, could no longer climb properly and had other complications from the injury including the loss of part of his tail.
As a result, it was decided that he could never make it back into the wild, and he was handed over to Moscow Zoo, where general director Svetlana Akulova said in a statement: “We are establishing a connection with Elbrus!
“Now he no longer hides from us and increasingly stays in place, reminding us with a formidable growl to respect his personal boundaries.
“Those of you who have been with us for a long time know that Elbrus is an Amur leopard from the Far East who came to the Centre with numerous injuries after an accident, and he is one of the most elusive and distrustful cats in our territory.
“We take this opportunity to thank Elbrus’s caretakers.”
The Amur leopard is listed as Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List.
There are thought to be about 103 in the wild, which, although still incredibly small, is still three times larger than it was two decades ago.
In 2007, only 19–26 wild leopards were estimated to survive in southeastern Russia and northeastern China
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Story By: Georgina Jedikovska, Sub-Editor: Georgina Jedikovska, Agency: Newsflash
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