In Primorye, a possible exchange of leopards for capybaras from Japan was assessed

The initiative of the Japanese zoo to exchange the rarest Far Eastern leopards for capybaras is unequal and violates the rules of international cooperation for the conservation of rare species. This was announced on March 4 by Dmitry Mezentsev, director of the Primorsky Safari Park, where two individuals of the Far Eastern leopard live.

"In my opinion, (The exchange of a leopard for a capybara. It's like exchanging, for example, gold for a bar of soap. You should not exchange gold for a piece of soap," Mezentseva said in an interview with RIA Novosti.

Earlier, Deputy director of Tokushima Zoo Nariomi Kitamura announced the Japanese side's readiness to transfer capybaras (water pigs) to Russia in exchange for Amur leopards or polar bears, citing the shortage of these rodents in the Russian Federation. However, in Primorye, where two rare cats live, such a proposal was met with extreme skepticism.

Mezentsev explained that animals such as Far Eastern leopards, Amur tigers, Daurian cranes and white-shouldered eagles belong to the category of "programmatic" animals. The process of their transfer is strictly regulated by the species conservation coordinators (for leopards, this is the Moscow Zoo) and is carried out free of charge solely for the sake of successful reproduction. Zoos have no right to offer such animals for exchange on their own. In addition, the head of the safari park noted the lack of interest in the aquatics themselves.

"I'm not interested in capybaras, I'm not going to keep them. We have animals more interesting than capybaras," the director summed up.

On February 11, Sergei Pisarev, Director of the Barnaul Zoo and Chairman of the Presidium of the Union of Zoos and Aquariums of Russia, announced a shortage of capybaras in Russia. According to him, there are very few zoos in Russia where capybaras can breed.

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