Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin, who is known for his keen interest in wildlife, has recently opened a new enclosure for a rare Anatolian leopard.
The premier was in Sochi National Park in southern Russia when two large female cats arrived from Iran. It was a gift of courtesy – in April this year Russia presented to the Islamic Republic two Amur tigers.
Putin released only one of the leopardesses, as the other fell ill and will be in need of special care for some time.
Representatives of Sochi National Park say they hope to begin a breeding program for the big cats and will be monitoring how the animals adjust to their new surroundings.
When leopards give offspring in the Sochi breeding nursery, the zoologists are going to release the wild cats in the Caucasus biosphere reserve.