Fire Incident Updates in Primorye and Leopard National Park
A significant natural blaze, covering 1,380 hectares, was brought under control in Primorye near the Leopard Country National Park, with teams declaring the fire extinguished. At the moment, authorities report that there is no active fire danger within the protected area, according to officials familiar with the situation.
Reports indicate that on the morning of March 5, a fire spanning 1,380 hectares was fully contained in a zone outside protected lands, near the village of Andreevka, close to the Gamovsky district borders of Leopard Country National Park. This area lies beyond the boundaries of designated protected zones. An official within the agency confirmed that, at present, there are no forest fires affecting the specially protected natural areas of federal importance managed by the directorate overseeing Leopard Country reserves.
The same source stressed that there is no immediate risk to wildlife within these zones. In addition, the authorities confirmed that the 400-hectare fire reported within the national park earlier in the week has been extinguished, marking a positive development for the park’s ecological preservation efforts.
Over the weekend, large natural fires erupted in the Khasansky district of southern Primorye. By Monday morning, firefighting resources in the region had expanded to around 300 personnel, with the fire front approximately 4.9 thousand hectares. By Tuesday morning, the affected area had grown further to about 7.4 thousand hectares as crews continued containment efforts. In response, Primorye authorities activated a special fire regime across the southern portions of the region, impacting 19 municipalities and a number of major localities, including Vladivostok, Artem, Ussuriysk, and Nakhodka, among others, to streamline responses and protect both communities and ecosystems.
Leopard National Park is renowned for harboring the Amur leopard, one of the world’s rarest big cats. These predators are found primarily in the southwest part of Primorsky Krai and in a small adjoining area within China near the Russian border. Occasional sightings have also been reported near the North Korean border. The park supports the bulk of the Amur leopard population, highlighting its critical role in conservation efforts for this endangered species.
In related wildlife news, a separate incident was reported in the village of Razdolnoye in Primorsky Territory where a tiger was noted in a context involving a domestic dog. This event underscores ongoing tensions and risks that can arise at the wildlife-human interface in border regions, prompting continued vigilance and monitoring by wildlife authorities and local communities.