Wild black bear provides health data for Amur leopard project

30th Sep 2011

WVI vet, Dr John Lewis, arrived in the depths of Amur leopard country in the Russian Far East on Monday 26th September. He joins a team of scientists humanely trapping highly endangered Amur leopard to learn more about how the Amur leopard lives in order to ensure the survival of this beautiful cat.

Less than a week after his arrival, the team have managed to trap a large Asiatic black bear Ursus thibetanus. More likely to try and free himself than a leopard, and with a thicker coat, John will have his work cut out to immobilise him quickly. Once the bear is immobilised the team will take biomedical measurements, hair and blood samples for analysis in a laboratory. The team are highly trained so it is only a few minutes before the procedure is finished, they retreat, Dr Lewis brings the bear round and the bear resumes his activities in the forest.

Over the next six weeks, the team will hopefully gather much more valuable data from the Amur leopard and its compatriots to add to data collected in previous years. A detailed picture of the genetic and physiological health of this small population, and that of their environment, is being slowly built up. If a second population is to be introduced, this information is vital to ensure they do not introduce new diseases to the area, which may decimate the original population.

For more information about the project and reports from Dr Lewis's previous visits, please click here.

For more pictures from when the team previously caught an Asiatic black bear, please see our Facebook page.

To donate to ensure the continuing support WVI gives to the survival of the Amur leopard, please click here.