The ongoing efforts to study and conserve rare species of animals are receiving support from Prime Minister Vladimir Putin, the chairman of the Russian Geographical Society’s Board of Trustees. The research is being conducted by specialists from the Severtsov Institute of Ecology and Evolution at the Russian Academy of Sciences (RAS) as part of the RAS Permanent Expedition’s work to study animals on the Red List of the Russian Federation and other particularly important species of Russian fauna.

Launched by the Russian Geographical Society and personally overseen by Vladimir Putin, the following programmes are currently underway: The Polar Bear Programme, The Amur Tiger Programme, The Snow Leopard Programme, and The White Whale Programme. These top carnivores are known to be indicators of the state of the ecosystems in their respective habitats.