IT WILL BE THE THIRD TIME WHEN PERSIAN LEOPARDS ARE TO BE RELEASED IN NORTH OSSETIA
The upcoming release will be the third in a row for North Ossetia-Alania. Previously, in 2018 and 2020, 4 leopards, - Elbrus, Volna, Baksan and Agura, - were released on the territory of the Republic. However, before it was decided the three spotted predators would join their relatives, the leopards had taken exams.
In April 2022, specialists of the A. N. Severtsov Insitute of Ecology and Evolution, the Institute of Ecology of Mountain Territories, the Moscow Zoo and WWF assessed the readiness of these animals for life in nature on the basis of special tests: proper hunting, avoiding humans and avoiding livestock. The check showed that all three leopards are ready for the release.
The male Leo (the younger brother of Elbrus and Baksan) is described by experts as friendly to other leopards, but not too curious and interested in making new contacts. Leo is careful, avoids a person if disturbed – does not come out of hiding for a long time until the person moves away to a safe distance.
Females Khosta and Laura (two younger sisters of Volna and Agura), on the contrary, are proactive and observant, actively react to any events – including each other's activity. Despite their affection for each other, they are both very independent, moderately curious and very careful. This gives a high potential for survival in the wild. They have a pronounced fear of a person, and an avoidance reaction prevails in their behavior towards humans.
For now, leopards have already been equipped with collars with GPS-GSM transmitters of Russian production. The devices are a remarkable example of import substitution and are suitable for use in areas of unstable cellular coverage. They are equipped with a VHF transmitter, allowing you to detect the predator even in areas without cellular communication, when specialists do not have GPS coordinates of the animal. The information from the collars will allow specialists to react quickly if the animals start moving in the direction of roads or settlements, and if necessary, adjust their route using sounds and flashes.