Let’s Protect Leopards Summer Camp has Started

The Let’s protect leopards Summer Camp for school children has been given a start within the framework of "Protection of the Caucasus Leopards" project. The project has been initiated by IDEA Public Union and World Wild Fund (WWF) Azerbaijan Office by the support of Heydar Aliyev Center and Ministry of Education. More than thirty school children living in southern part of Azerbaijan took place in the camp held in Masalli.

“Protection of the Caucasus Leopards” project is aimed to inform pupils about rare Caucasus leopards, which is living in nearby region, and promote the protection of them. During the camp, which will take place on July 9-11 pupils will be widely informed about lifestyle of Caucasus leopards, areas where they have surrounded. They will also participate in junior environmental researches, quizzes and competitions.

Preservation of the Caucasian leopard project was started in 2002 by WWF Azerbaijan Office. During this period 4 various inhabits of the leopards were found. Nowadays, those rare predators are being monitored in Hirkan and Zangazur chains. In 2009, Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources of the Republic of Azerbaijan adopted a national action plan to strengthen the protection of leopards. Protected natural settlements of leopards were increased by 4 times. “Big five” project launched at the intiative of the Vice-President of Heydar Aliyev Foundation and the Founder of IDEA Public Union, Mrs. Leyla Aliyeva, in order to preserve 5 fauna species (bears, wolves, deer, eagles and leopard) threatened with extinction results successfully.

One of the measures taken in this direction is “Caucasus Cat Summit” organized by IDEA Public Union at the initiative of Heydar Aliyev Foundation with the support of Heydar Aliyev Center on 7 may, 2014. The summit was held with the participation of the world's foremost experts who had settled a big step toward preservation of Caucasus Leopards. Mrs. Leyla Aliyeva during her speech in conference emphasized that without support of young people protection of environment would be difficult.

The camps implemented as continuation of Caucasus Cat Summit, are very expedient to attract youth to the protection of biodiversity and increase their activeness in this work at early ages.