Conservation Of Amur Leopard

Why is the Amur Leopard critically endangered and what is being doing to promote conservation of these wild cats?

The Amur leopard or Panthera pardus orientalis, is a leopard that’s population was once dispersed across northern China, the Korean Peninsula and southern areas of the Russian Far East. However, the leopard population is now confined to a small part of southwest Primorskii Krai, Russia [see Figure 1] The species is now occupying five thousand square kilometres, approximately 80% less than its former range [1].

These wild cats are adapted to the harsh climates in which they reside. They have thick coats of hair, which can grow up to seven centimetres long in winter.

In the summer months its coat size decreases to about

2.5 centimetres long [3]. It is this coat that distinguishes Amur Leopards from other species, as its fur consists of widely spaced rosettes with thick black borders [4] [see Figure 1]. They generally have longer legs than other species of leopards; this is a structural adaptation aiding the leopard when walking through snow. [4] Adult males weigh between 32-48 kilograms and females weigh between 25-43 kilograms. Leopards are solitary animals that prefer to hunt alone as opposed to hunting in a pack. Additionally, they are nocturnal and their main sources of nutrients come from badgers, hares, musk deer, rodents, roe deer and deer [5]

The problem: what has caused the Amur leopard population to recede so rapidly?

Dr. John Lewis, veterinary director of Wildlife Vets International and veterinary advisor to the Amur leopard European captive breeding programme, said, “The Amur leopard is facing a situation which may face a number of other big cats in the future, with populations which become so low th...

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...sease. (20) Although Success rates have improved slowly since early reintroductions, with greater attention now being paid to habitat type, food availability, dispersal, and predation risk Predation has been a major cause of reintroduction failure and although species naturally coexist with predators, temporarily excluding predators from release sites has been found to improve the odds of establishing populations. (20) Also allowing testing the predators natural instincts while captive e.g letting them hunt for food in order to give them realism, and perfect these skills in such a environment therefore they are more likely to survive when they get out of it. (1)

change camera trap method to land of leopards half done. get figures for studbook method and more information on where its taking place and how many leopards they’ve introduced into the wild