Article

Anna V. Vitkalova, Head of Scientific Department of the United Administration of the State Nature Biosphere Reserve Kedrovaya Pad and Land of the Leopard National Park; 690068, Russia, Primorsky Krai, Vladivostok, 100 let Vladivostoku, Ave., 127; e-mail: vitkalova@leopard-land.ru
Elena I. Shevtsova, Deputy Director of Scientific Department, United Administration of the State Nature Biosphere Reserve Kedrovaya Pad and Land of the Leopard National Park; 690068, Russia, Primorsky Krai, Vladivostok, 100 let Vladivostoku, Ave., 127; e-mail: shevtsova@leopard-land.ru

Vitkalova A.V., Shevtsova E.I. 2016. A complex approach to study the Amur leopard using camera traps in Protected Areas in the southwest of Primorsky Krai (Russian Far East). Nature Conservation Research 1(3): 53–58. https://dx.doi.org/10.24189/ncr.2016.027

The paper describes the methodology and preliminary results of a complex camera trap study of the Amur leopard. The main studies were concentrated on protected areas: the Land of the Leopard National Park with its buffer zone and the Kedrovaya Pad' Biosphere Reserve, a total area of 3600 km². The first results of the 2014–2015 survey period are presented. According to spatial capture-recapture analysis at least 57 adult Amur leopards occupied the Russian protected areas with the density of about 0.98 individuals/100 km². The sex ratio (male : female) was 1:1.2. Five breeding females with 11 cubs were registered in 2014 and 9 females with 16 cubs in 2015. The basis was founded for long-term monitoring of and fundamental research on the Amur leopard in the protected areas in Primorsky Krai.

Amur leopard, camera trap, capture-recapture, Panthera pardus orientalis, Primorsky Krai

Received: 20.09.2016

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