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New insurance scheme offers compensation for big cat attacks

By 0 and 0 and 0
16 March 2016

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'The leopards are getting fatter which is not very good for wild cats.' Picture: Land of Leopards

The Kremlin has praised a new 'insurance policy' which will compensate farmers if their livestock is eaten by the rising number of big cats roaming the region. A few years ago there were grave fears of extinction for the Amur leopard and tiger populations due to poaching. 

But the head of the Russian presidential administration Sergei Ivanov revealed that numbers of wild leopards have risen from 30 to 80, allowing real hope that extinction can be avoided. 

A survey revealed in December that there are now some 562 tigers in their natural habitat. But Mr Ivanov said that leopards 'have started to attack livestock more often'.

Amur leopard hunts livestock


Amur leopard


Amur leopard

Leopard, known as Simba, attacked the livestok on the farm in Primorye. Pictures: Novonikolsk stud farm

He said: 'One of the largest Russian insurance companies has volunteered to insure the damage caused by leopards and tigers. The maximum insurance amounts to up to two million roubles.' This is around $28,150.

In June, a leopard attacked a two month old calf grazing on a privately-owned farm in Primorye region. This leopard, known as Simba, was patronised by senior government official Yuri Trutnev, a deputy prime minister and presidential envoy to the Far Eastern Federal District.

Mr Trutnev gave the farmer 70 bags of oats as compensation, but the case led to insurance company SOFGAZ offering to make good future damage suffered by farmers. 

Sergey Ivanov


Amur leopard


Amur leopard


Amur leopard


Amur leopard

Sergei Ivanov: 'We can say that our animals are becoming less exposed to dangers coming from humans. In these conditions, our cats are reproducing very well.' Pictures: kremlin.ru, Gennady Yusin, Nikolay Zinovyev, Land of Leopards

Mr Ivanov has led a drive to save the leopard and he called the insurance scheme a 'correct; and 'civilised solution'. A new ecological tunnel in the Land of the Leopards national park would open later this month, he said. 'It's  going to be the first ecological tunnel in Russia. It has been built under a highway, which crosses the national park,' he said. 

He claimed a decline in poaching was a key reason the increase in leopard numbers. 'The situation is more than satisfactory. The leopards are getting fatter which is not very good for wild cats,' he said. 

'We can say that our animals are becoming less exposed to dangers coming from humans. In these conditions, our cats are reproducing very well.'

Nine [wild] cubs were born in one year, he said. The leopards are also living longer. 

Comments (5)

I agree as well with this approach of helping nature and farmers to be able to co-exist. I am also very happy that poaching has declined and that a new ecological tunnel is near completion. I hope poaching all across Siberia has also declined.
http://www.insurancegala.com/hix-insurance/
anam, League City, USA
03/08/2016 01:23
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Salut, Jocelyne. J'aime votre commentaire aussi! Your English is just fine. Growing up in Canada helped me to have two languages and I also understand what it is like to try to communicate in your "second" language so I appreciate very much everyone is making comments in what might not be your "first" language.
Pamela Tetarenko, League City, USA
19/03/2016 17:11
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With Siberian Times now I know Amur Leopard --> Bary; Lord; Meamur :-( ; Léo 80 ...and others..They have pretty face and the best fluffy winter fur, I love them. Their wildhome is East Asia Region. It's well to help big cats and also farmers.I agree with Paméla and Benedikt comments; (Sorry for my bad English)
Jocelyne, FRANCE
19/03/2016 15:40
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I agree as well with this approach of helping nature and farmers to be able to co-exist. I am also very happy that poaching has declined and that a new ecological tunnel is near completion. I hope poaching all across Siberia has also declined.
Pamela Tetarenko, League City, USA
19/03/2016 07:21
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they have more or less something similar i nAustria. where bears, wolves and also Lynx are returning slowly. the bears love honey, the wolf and cats can take a sheep or goat. no big deal is being made out of it. call the local forest official, they take facts and pictures. and the farmer or homesteader gets compensated. better than having the animals killed by an irate farmer.
Benedikt, Moscow,Russia
18/03/2016 09:29
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