The leopard carcass was discovered in the Primorye Territory, following an anonymous telephone call, said Vitaly Starostin, a deputy chief from a local wildlife watchdog.
"It was a fully grown female. The animal had a bullet wound and had been hit over the head with a heavy instrument," Starostin said. "The murder of any Far Eastern leopard female could lead to the extinction of the species, which is currently in a critical situation."
According to a census, which was carried out last week, there are just 25-34 Far Eastern leopards left, which makes it the rarest wild cat and it has been entered in the Russian red book of endangered species.
Earlier, the leopard roamed virtually all of the Primorye Territory down through China, North Korea and was seen in the area of the Amur River, but now it is restricted to the south of the Primorye Territory in an area of no more than 400,000 hectares.
