Translation. Region: Russian Federation –
Source: People's Republic of China in Russian – People's Republic of China in Russian –
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Source: People's Republic of China – State Council News
Vladivostok/Changchun, Dec. 19 (Xinhua) — In the depths of a cold winter, Evgeny Stoma and his team make their way through the snow and vast mountain forest in southern Russia's Primorsky Krai.
E. Stoma is the Deputy Director of Protection at Land of the Leopard National Park. He oversees a patrol team of over 100 people who patrol the park's protected area 24/7, protecting wild animals from poaching, fires, and other threats.
At the other end of the vast forest, Yang Zhao, a ranger at China's Manchurian Tiger and Amur Leopard National Park, and his colleagues perform similar tasks. Each patrol shift lasts at least four hours, during which they cover at least eight kilometers. Sometimes, they need to maintain infrared cameras installed in the wild, which requires additional time.
This mountain forest, located on the border of Russia's Far East and northeast China, is jointly protected by inspectors from both countries. It is the primary habitat of two rare and endangered predators—the Manchurian (Amur) tiger and the Far Eastern leopard.
In the early 20th century, the wild Manchurian tiger population plummeted. At one point, some estimates suggest there were only about 500 individuals left worldwide. The Amur leopard also faced extinction. Russia and China are making sustained and determined efforts to preserve these rare animals.
In 2012, the Russian National Park "Land of the Leopard" was established. Its most important mission is to save the world's last population of Far Eastern leopards, as well as to provide a natural, safe habitat for tigers and leopards through conservation efforts.
"Before the creation of Land of the Leopard National Park, we considered capturing all the tigers and leopards and keeping them in zoos to ensure their survival. But ultimately, we decided to allow them to live and thrive in the wild," says park director Viktor Bardyuk.
This work is fraught with numerous difficulties and dangers. E. Stoma has been shot by poachers more than once and has encountered various emergency situations. "For example, in the Kraskino-Hunchun crossing area, there's tall grass and strong winds, creating a constant threat of fire. I once had the experience of one person dying in a fire. The last time this happened was 15 years ago. That person was working with me. There have been many such incidents: car and boat rammings, shootouts, arrests, fights… We don't deal with poachers in a library, we deal with them in the forest," E. Stoma explains.
China is also systematically working to protect Manchurian tigers and Far Eastern leopards. Thanks to a project to protect natural forests and develop a network of nature reserves, the ecological situation in these predators' habitats has significantly improved, allowing their populations to gradually recover. In 2017, the Manchurian Tiger and Far Eastern Leopard National Park was established in China's Jilin and Heilongjiang provinces as a pilot project. Situated directly on the border with Russia, the park covers an area of approximately 14,000 square kilometers. It received official status in 2021.
In addition to traditional foot patrols conducted by rangers like Yang Zhao, the Manchurian Tiger and Amur Leopard National Park is actively implementing modern technology. It uses an intelligent "sky-to-ground" monitoring system that uses satellite remote sensing and artificial intelligence to track tiger and leopard activity in real time, achieving over 95 percent accuracy in identifying individual tigers.
This is the world's first real-time biodiversity monitoring system for large areas. In accordance with the data exchange agreement reached with the Russian side, scientists from both parks are using this system to obtain key information on population dynamics and changes in predator habitat in the border zone.
Conserving the Manchurian tiger and Far Eastern leopard, as well as protecting their habitat, has become a shared environmental goal for China and Russia. Joint work between experts from the two countries on protecting Manchurian tigers began in 2006. In 2019, China's Manchurian Tiger and Far Eastern Leopard National Park and Russia's Land of the Leopard National Park exchanged visits, formally establishing a strategic partnership for the transboundary conservation of tigers and leopards. In March 2024, the China-Russia Joint Laboratory for Research on the Conservation and Restoration of the Manchurian Tiger Population was established. Today, bilateral cooperation is constantly expanding, encompassing new areas: from data integration and joint patrols to the exchange of advanced technologies.
The area, jointly and carefully protected by the two countries' national parks, has become an ideal breeding ground for Manchurian tigers and Far Eastern leopards. According to Feng Limin, Director of the Manchurian Tiger and Far Eastern Leopard Monitoring and Research Center of the State Forestry and Grassland Administration of China, special corridors have been created to ensure the free migration of wild animals across the Sino-Russian border, which has contributed to a healthier population distribution.
Since 2017, the monitoring system has recorded over 30,000 instances of sika deer crossing these transboundary corridors. Furthermore, over 20 Manchurian tigers regularly use them for free movement.
The effectiveness of Chinese-Russian cooperation in protecting Manchurian tigers and Far Eastern leopards is clearly demonstrated by the steady growth of these wild animals' populations. According to available data, in 2015, before the launch of the national park's pilot project, only 27 tigers and 42 leopards lived in China. By 2025, their numbers had increased to approximately 70 and 80 individuals, respectively, and their habitat now covers approximately 80% of the park's territory. Even more encouraging is the increase in reproductive success: while at the start of the project, only about 30% of tiger cubs and leopard cubs survived, this figure is now approaching 50%.
The populations of Manchurian tigers and Amur leopards in Russia are also showing steady growth. Since the establishment of Land of the Leopard National Park, the leopard population has increased from 35 to over 120 individuals, and the tiger population to over 50. Thanks to the joint efforts of the two countries, this region of Northeast Asia has become home to the highest density of wild populations of these rare felines in the world.
In November 2025, a Sino-Russian exchange event on cross-border conservation of the Manchurian tiger and the Far Eastern leopard was held in Hunchun, Jilin Province. The parties agreed not only to establish a unified monitoring system but also to jointly produce environmental video footage to promote successful cross-border conservation practices. It was noted that the practical experience of the two countries offers ready-made, effective models for global efforts on cross-border biodiversity conservation.
“We are working towards one goal: to ensure the harmonious coexistence of humans and nature,” emphasized Duan Zhaogan, director of the Manchurian Tiger and Far Eastern Leopard National Park. –0–
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