SOCHI, July 14 A pupil of the Achipse Center for Leopard Restoration in the Caucasus was released into the natural environment, reported in press service of the Caucasian State Natural Biosphere Reserve.
According to the department, the final commission showed that the predator is in excellent physical shape, her hunting behavior meets the stated requirements of specialists. 
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The release of Achipse took place on the border of the Caucasian Reserve and the Bolshoy Thach Natural Park in Adygea. As the press service of the reserve explained, the scientists chose a not very high place, where there is little snow, but at the same time there are enough small animals that the leopard will hunt.
“On July 14, 2023, a female named Achipse was released into her natural habitat on the territory of the Caucasian Reserve,” the message says.
It is noted that a satellite collar was put on Achipse's neck, which will allow scientists to track her movement and state in nature. «This is the fourth release of the leopard, and I want to note how much has been done since the first release. We release the leopard in the Caucasus Reserve, because here is historically his homeland, he was once found here. But today the most important thing for him is that there is peace, there is security, there is a food base,» the director of the Caucasian Reserve, acting director, is quoted in the release. director of the Sochi National Park Sergey Shevelev.
Achipse and her sibling Chilmas were born on July 30, 2021 at the Leopard Recovery Center to a pair of Shiva and Philou, who were brought from the Swedish zoo. According to the head of the leopard recovery center in the Caucasus, Nikolai Voronin, Chilmas will soon also be released into the wild — in North Ossetia-Alania, the release date has not yet been announced.
Until the middle of the 20th century, the Persian leopard was widespread in the Russian Caucasus and occupied almost all mountainous territories. Later, its numbers dwindled. In 2007, the Caucasus Leopard Recovery Center was established. In 2009, four leopards were brought to the center from Turkmenistan and Iran. For the first time in the world, the specialists of the center managed to form a couple in captivity, get offspring and prepare kittens for release into the wild. Since 2016, 14 leopards have been released into the wild.