Wildfires threaten endangered leopards in Far East
Wildfires threaten endangered leopards in Far East
21 March 2012
published by www.rt.com
Russia — Around 1,500 hectares of forest have been destroyed by fire at a nature reserve in the Primorye Region.
The woods are home to an endangered species of leopard. There are thought to be only 35 to 40 of the cats left.
Ecologists say no one is helping the reserve workers to fight the fires. They also suspect arson.
Meanwhile, heavy snowfall in Moscow led to traffic being paralyzed last night and this morning. The capital suffered tailbacks stretching kilometers, and a spike in the number of road accidents.
The snowstorm brought with it over a third of the average precipitation for March. Forecasters say the weather will remain wintry with temperatures just above zero until the end of the month.
Russia’s chief meteorologist says March is famously unpredictable.
