- WildCats Conservation Alliance will no longer support conservation activities within the Russian Federation.
- From 2027, WildCats Conservation Alliance will concentrate its support for Amur tiger and Amur leopard conservation in Northeast China, where both species are establishing new ground and where conservation action can continue securely.
- WildCats remain committed to ensuring that its funding for wild tigers and Amur leopard continue to deliver meaningful conservation outcomes.
Since 2000, WildCats Conservation Alliance has supported Amur tiger and Amur leopard conservation in the Russian Far East.
Together with our zoo, public and corporate supporters, we have worked with NGOs and government agencies to fund long-term conservation work for these remarkable big cats, contributing to stronger protected area management, the adoption of SMART monitoring, wildlife health work, fire prevention, community engagement and awareness programmes, and efforts to improve prey availability.
This support has helped make vital conservation action possible across one of the most important landscapes for Amur tigers and Amur leopards.
Historical photos from WildCats funded projects in Russia dating back to 2000
Current Amur Region projects funded by us
These include a new collaborative project in Northeast China, focused on addressing road and rail-related barriers to habitat connectivity for Amur tigers and Amur leopards. This work is especially important as both species continue to establish new ground in the region.
Support is also contributing to the technical analysis of 18 months of data from the Razdolnaya Development Corridor study in Russia. This forms part of a connectivity study that will inform a proposed expansion of protected areas.
What is changing?
From 2027, WildCats will not support Amur leopard or future Amur tiger conservation activities within the Russian Federation. This is a significant change, and one we have considered carefully. While we cannot continue supporting in-country activities in Russia for the foreseeable future, we remain committed to ensuring that support for Amur tigers and Amur leopards continues to deliver meaningful, expert-led conservation outcomes.
Our future focus
Supporters will still be able to choose between supporting either wild tiger conservation or Amur leopard conservation.
Our Amur tiger and leopard conservation work will expand in northeast China, where both species are establishing new ground and where we can continue to support robust, on-the-ground conservation in a more secure operating environment. We will continue to support conservation actions that directly benefit Amur tigers and Amur leopards, including research, capacity building, wildlife health, genetics, disease prevention and work to disrupt illegal wildlife trade.
For tiger conservation more broadly, WildCats will continue direct support to expert-informed priorities across tiger range states outside the Russian Federation, wherever the need is greatest, and conservation action can be delivered safely and effectively.
This approach will allow us to continue supporting field-based conservation, while also enabling strategic investment in the research, training, health, monitoring and capacity-building work needed to protect wild tigers and Amur leopards over the long term.
We are consulting widely to ensure that funds currently held by WildCats are used responsibly and strategically. We are identifying the strongest project opportunities in China for 2027 and will share further details in December 2026.
Your support has helped deliver real conservation impact where it can make the greatest difference.
Together, we can continue to safeguard these remarkable big cats and strengthen conservation efforts across their ranges.
If you have any questions about this update, please contact us at WildCats@zsl.org.
