A vet has hailed a breakthrough in his campaign to save one of the most endangered big cats in the world.

Keighley-based Dr John Lewis, co-founder and director of charity Wildlife Vets International, is spearheading a team of experts studying the endangered Amur leopard in eastern Russia.

There are only about 25 of the animals left and Dr Lewis’s team is working to reintroduce more of the animals into the wild.

Now, the team has managed to capture and tag a rare Amur tiger, which lives alongside the endangered leopard species.

Dr Lewis, whose Wildlife Vets International charity is based in Parkwood Street, Keighley, said: “We need to catch, assess and radio-collar tigers as well as leopards if we are to discover how they co-exist.

“Tigers are present in the proposed leopard reintroduction area and we must know the risks for any leopards released there. Infectious diseases affecting tigers can equally affect leopards, so health screening has major conservation relevance for both animals.”

The tiger was anaesthetised for examination and released with a GPS tracking collar.

The programme is part of a long-term effort to assess the health of leopards and their prey base in the wild. The ultimate aim is to provide comprehensive disease screening of Amur leopards so a second population can be safely released into the wild.