The Amur leopard will have to change territory (and maybe be extinguished) if Russian government don’t changes his plans to build a pipeline bringing oil from Siberia to a terminal on the coast. The oil is destined for the Asian market, China could be the first client ?
At this point it should be interesting to consider strategic position of this pipeline for a big market such as Asia. Now that Ukraine has a pro-Occidental president, it will be very difficult for Russian government to deal energy and do good business with this new Ukrainian government “build up” by USA. Bush administration gave 65 millions dollars to Yushchenko, Soros Foundation and Madeleine Albright financed and invited many independent organizations to coordinate the orange revolution. The goal of this new (pro-US) government should be to keep Russia far away of the European energy business for the next 20 years, the “big deal” to make “big cash” for neo-liberals and energy monopoles.
Back to the cat, making some considerations, it will be very difficult to convince Russian government to spend more to change pipeline’s route to save the leopard. They are only 30 of the animals in the wild, less than the ones in captivity. It will be very hard for them to survive to the pipeline ’cause it should be built trough the Amour leopard’s range.
Hope for the cat that the job of Zoological Society of London will help and the final pipeline’s route will change.
