“Today, information came from the Ministry of Natural Resources and Ecology of the Republic that poachers shot Leo. If the fact of shooting an animal listed in the Red Book is confirmed, the criminals will face criminal punishment,” Menyailo noted. .
The head of the region described the killing of an animal not only as a crime, but as blasphemy and unlimited human stupidity.
They are trying to restore the population of Central Asian leopards, also known as Caucasian leopards, in the Caucasus under a special program overseen by Russian President Vladimir Putin. Leopards Leo, Khosta and Laura were born in Sochi National Park, and in 2020 they were moved to the Leopard Rehabilitation Center in the Caucasus and began preparing for life in the wild.
In 2022, a commission of experts recognized that these three leopards were prepared for an independent life in the natural environment and fitted them with special satellite collars.
