In an attempt to protect the endangered wild Amur leopard, a marathon event was held for the first time in a habitat forest in a national park in the Russian Far East.
The Amur leopard lives mainly in the forests of the Russian Far East, but it has decreased due to poaching and deforestation, and the number of leopards in the wild was confirmed to be only about 100 in last year's survey, and it is extinct. I'm worried.
The Amur leopard conservation group in the Russian Far East held the first marathon event on the 13th to get the Amur leopard interested and to protect it, and about 500 people including citizens participated.
The tournament was divided into four divisions from 3 km to 21 km at the national park where the Amur leopard actually inhabits, and the participants ran hard in the lush wilderness. It was.
A local woman who participated said, "I felt like a leopard running in a painful and desperate manner. It was hot, but it was awesome." A Japanese man stationed in Vladivostok said, "In such a forest. The opportunity to run was rare in Japan and it was interesting. "
The Amur leopard conservation group says that the conservation activities include usage fees from tourists visiting the national park, and "I want people to know the existence of the national park and come back again." ..