The Russian Geographical Society has been supporting "Amur leopard" project since 2011. Its goal is to study the state of the species population and its main prey - hoofed animals, as well as infrastructure development of protected areas within the rare predator’s areal.
The Amur leopard is the rarest subspecies of the cat family in the world. He is currently on the verge of extinction. According to various estimates no more than 48-50 individuals live in vivo. The most of the population - 30-40 individuals - live on the territory of Russia in the Primorsky Krai, and less than 10 individuals - in China.
In gratitude for the support the Russian Geographical Society was granted the right to choose a name for the unnamed leopard Leo12M. However, employees of the Society decided to refer this honorable mission to the participants of its first Festival.
During the Festival the attention of the guests of the exhibitions dedicated to the leopard was attracted by two large touch panels. There one could offer or choose a name for Leo12M. The guests have offered almost 2000 names, and nearly 10 thousand people participated in the vote!
f20556140346.jpg
Among the names suggested were many very original ones. For example Philosopher, Kangaroo Batman, Chuchachka, Beetle, Bro or Bobrik. At the same time many of the voters were in favor of traditional human names - Vladimir, Athanasius, Vasya, Dima, Ivan, and so on. However, more unusual options were among the three leaders - Typhoon, Leopold and Shanechka. As a result, by a margin of approximately 400 votes the leopard was named Typhoon.
"Typhoons as Amur leopards are one of the features of Primorsky Krai, - says Elena Salmanova, Deputy Director for science and ecological education of "Land of the Leopard". - As typhoons, leopards suddenly appear and quickly run away. We hope that the chosen name will give Leo12M and the whole population only its good qualities - strength and power."
On November 12 the Certificate of Keeper of leopard signed by Chairman of the Supervisory Board of ANO "Far Eastern leopards" Sergei Ivanov was brought to Moscow headquarters of the Russian Geographical Society.
Typhoon is another leopard who gets his name in the framework of "Keeper of leopard" project. Anyone can take part in it.
The problem of the leopard conservation lays in sharp reduction of the area of its habitat, food resources and disturbance by humans. Therefore the guarantee of the Amur leopard preservation is the creation of national parks within its areal. On April 5, 2012 "Land of the Leopard" National Park was created. Thanks to it about half of the Amur leopard’s areal in Primorye is in protected areas.