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Amur leopard at Rutland Falconry and Owl Centre moves to The Big Cat Sanctuary in Kent for endangered species breeding programme




An animal sanctuary owner is saying goodbye to a 'member of his family' to help prevent a leopard species becoming extinct.

Hidden in deep in woodland near Burley lies Rutland Falconry and Owl Centre.

While the clue is in the name for what the attraction mainly holds, behind roped off areas are nine big cats which have been rescued by owner Chris Lawton.

Argun the Amur leopard at Rutland Falconry and Owl Centre
Argun the Amur leopard at Rutland Falconry and Owl Centre

Determined to give them a better life and save them from being put down, Chris created temporary enclosures and began rehoming pumas and leopards in 2005.

Now he is taking another step to help save endangered species, by allowing his 14-year-old Amur leopard Argun to take part in a breeding programme.

"It is difficult to let go and say goodbye but I realise the breeding programme is important," said Chris, a former strongman.

Chris Lawton with leopard Argun at the Rutland Falconry and Owl Centre
Chris Lawton with leopard Argun at the Rutland Falconry and Owl Centre

"I spend a lot of time with each cat talking to them, watching them and being with them.

"I have an emotional rapport with all the cats, so it is upsetting when they go."

Argun left the Rutland Falconry and Owl Centre this morning (Friday, January 27) and made his journey to The Big Cat Sanctuary near Ashford in Kent.

He will undergo three to six months of tests to check he is a suitable partner, before being put with a female Amur leopard.

Chris Lawton with leopard Argun at the Rutland Falconry and Owl Centre
Chris Lawton with leopard Argun at the Rutland Falconry and Owl Centre

If breeding is successful the cubs will be released into the wild. Amur leopards, native to south-eastern Russia and northern China, are critically endangered, having been hunted historically for their coats.

A volunteer at the centre, Shani, said: "We are really excited for Argun but also sad because we don't know if we will see him again.

"The environment here is so special and almost part of nature so that we can give all the animals a beautiful existence.

Argun the leopard
Argun the leopard

"Although they are still in captivity it is a home from home."

The big cat part of the site is only open to visitors eight days a year, so that the animals are not stressed by seeing lots of different people each day.

For Chris and the team it is important for it to be as close to the natural environment as possible, so the animals have views stretching out across the open Rutland countryside.

"They are my family," said Chris.

"What you see and the reaction you get from wild animals with the contact and connection is something you can't describe. You get a feeling."

He hopes that by allowing Argun to go to Kent, Rutland Falconry and Owl Centre might be allowed to host the breeding programme in the future.



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