A portrait of the Far Eastern leopard has decorated the bow of a passenger plane Boeing 777-300. «Leolet» is intended to draw attention to the importance of preserving the rarest big cat on the planet. The project is implemented by the airline «Russia» jointly with the Autonomous Nonprofit Organization «Far Eastern leopards» within the frames of the Year of Ecology in Russia and the Year of specially protected natural areas.
Far Eastern leopard – is the most northern, the most peaceful and the rarest subspecies of leopard. Only about 70 of these predators dwell in Russia. Far Eastern leopard habitat today is Southwest of Primorsky region and a small area on China's northeast. Most of the population of this rare big cats reside in the territory of the «Leopard Land» national park and «Cedar Pad» reserve. Here the unique nature is being under heavy guard, and the scientists are attentively watching the life of the leopards themselves.
The 3rd of March the unique aircraft made its first flight – from Moscow to Vladivostok. The «Leolet» was met by the representatives of the «Russia» airline and the «Leopard Land» national park at the airport.
img_1352.jpg
-The emergence of the «Leolet» is very much at time, - Tatyana Baranovskaya, the director of the «Leopard land», noted. – Not long time ago we found it out that there had been fixed more than 10 previously unknown adult leopards. The preliminary results of monitoring of 2016 are showing us again, that the population has a positive upward trend. And now a growing spotted family has been replenished with «Flying Leopard» as well, which will rise in the sky in order to attract wide public attention to the preservation of nature. More and more people will get to know about our common heritage, more people will love these cats. All this allows us to look to the future with optimism.
Further the aircraft Boeing 777-300 with tail number EI-UNP and the name of «Ussuriisk» will be flying to the most popular and socially significant routes to the Far East and the popular resort areas both within Russia as well as abroad, acquainting the passengers and the people of our country with unique animals of the Far East.