Amur Leopards are a very rare wild feline species found only in Russia. Their native habitat lies across the mountainous taiga region and extends into the more temperate forest areas along the border of China. With their light eyes and beautiful spotted coats, these predators roam many of the same spaces tigers do.

Currently, it is estimated that there only 30 to 45 Amur Leopards left in the world. This startling statistic is the reason these felines are categorised as critically endangered.

The possibility of complete extinction in the wild is very real. While the tiger population in Russia is growing, the number of Amur Leopards is decreasing although the two statistics are not related – the tiger is not a threat to the leopards’ habitat; man is.

Threats to the Amur Leopard

The biggest threats to the Amur Leopard are an encroachment on their native habitat and their most dangerous predator: humans.

Amur Leopards have long been hunted to harvest their incredible fur coats. In modern times, some alternative medicine practitioners believe parts of the leopard are effective in medicinal concoctions and pay top dollar for leopards.

Russian villagers and Chinese hunters who cross the national border are the biggest poachers. Because killing deer in Russia is popular and unregulated, Amur Leopards sometimes fall victim to the snares set for deer.

Deforestation and development are the two factors affecting the leopards’ habitat. Purposeful burns, meant to stimulate fern growth, have devastated much of the trees in forested areas of Russia. Because the Amur Leopard prowls along the Russian-China border – an area subject to much planned infrastructure to connect the two nations – its habitat is being taken away in the name of development. Although plans for an oil pipeline in the area were successfully halted, other economic developments likely will go forward unabated.

There is another consideration in conservation efforts of the Amur Leopard – inbreeding. Because the population of this feline species is so small, it is feared that inbreeding will negatively affect lifespan and reproduction. It could also cause additional problems in the form of genetic predisposition but until further studies are conducted, it is unclear exactly how this could affect future populations of Amur Leopards.

Conservation efforts to save the Amur Leopard must be instituted now, before it is too late. As with any wild animal, there are Amur Leopards being raised in captivity but how this may also negatively affect the rate of survival, reproduction, and lifespan remains to be determined.

Find out about the Amur Leopard Breeding Programme, one of the major initiatives to try to save the Amur Leopard from extinction.