Yerevan hosts Caucasus leopard protection campaign

May 22, 2010 – 15:36 AMT 10:36 GMT
PanARMENIAN.Net –

On May 22, Yerevan Zoo hosted Caucasus leopard protection campaign
timed to International Day for Biological Diversity.

The event featured games, contests and other entertainments for Zoo
visitors. RA Minister of Nature Protection Aram Harutyunyan, Honorary
Consul of Norway in Armenia Tim Straight and Yerevan Mayor’s Office
representatives were also attending.

As WWF Armenia director Karen Manvelyan noted, the action is aimed to
raise awareness of ecological situation in Armenia as well as
environmental programs implemented.

The event was organised by World Wild Fund For Nature, Armenian Women
for Health and Healthy Environment and sponsored by Norwegian Foreign
Ministry in the framework of Biodiversity Protection and Community
Development: Implementing Ecoregional Conservation Plan Targets in
South Armenia project.

A rare species of leopard found only in remote areas of the southern
Caucasus Mountains faces extinction, the World Wildlife Fund warns.

Currently numbers of the Caucasus leopard are estimated to have fallen
to as few as 5-7 animals in Armenia.