COLCHESTER Zoo’s charity has donated �5,000 to help with the conservation of the endangered Amur Leopard.

The zoo’s charity, Action for the Wild, is sponsoring Wildlife Vets International (WVI) for this year and has donated the money to provide veterinary support for the endangered Amur Leopard in the Russian Far East, where there is estimated to be as few as 25 individual Amur Leopards surviving in the wild. The ultimate aim of the project is to provide comprehensive disease screening of both wild and captive Amur Leopards so that a second population can be released into the wild.

John Lewis, the Amur Leopard veterinary advisor and the veterinarian for Colchester Zoo, is acting as consultant to this project. He will provide professional training to Russian vet students and veterinarians in combating wildlife diseases through knowledge of main wildlife diseases, and workshops for remote darting, capture systems, anaesthesia, animal relocation and humane euthanasia.

Colchester Zoo is hosting an Action for the Wild Evening on Saturday, September 4, where it will be possible for visitors to book to attend a number of fascinating talks including a talk from John Lewis about his work with WVI. Visit the events section of the main website at www.colchester-zoo.com for more information.

More information on the WVI project and other conservation projects supported by Action for the Wild can be found on the Action for the Wild website at www.actionforthewild.org