We’re going to introduce you to the Amur leopard. It’s a unique subspecies of leopard that exists only in the Russian Far East. These are incredibly rare animals with only about 70 individuals left in the wild. The Amur Leopard is a subspecies of Panthera pardus. It is also known as the Far Eastern leopard, Manchurian leopard, Northeast China leopard and Korean leopard. It is named after its habitat – the Amur Basin between Russia and China.
The History of the Amur Leopard
The Russian Federation and China used to share land in the north-eastern part of the Amur and Yalu Rivers. In 1904, the Amur became part of China and in 1910, this area became the Chinese province of Heilongjiang. With the establishment of the Russian SFSR in 1922, the Amur was separated from China and became a part of it as the Korean Republic of China and the Amur became a part of the Soviet Union. It became a republic within the USSR in 1946. The Amur was previously known as the Amur leopard, while the smaller Jilin leopard was known as the Jilin leopard. Its scientific name means – “Eurasian leopard” in reference to its unique color pattern and dark markings in comparison to the other leopards that live in other parts of the world. The Amur Leopard is distinguished by its distinctive dark chestnut fur and paws, a color pattern that can vary widely from individual to individual. The Amur leopard is native to the Russian Far East but is now usually found in three populations: a sub-population in Russia, a population in China, and the third wild population in Korea.
The Amur leopard is listed as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List, considering their survival to be in very low numbers and declining for many reasons. Currently, the wild population of Amur leopards is found in and around the city of Vladivostok, in the Russian Far East. Only a very small number of the habitat areas contain the perfect conditions for the adult male and female to interact. In the Russian Far East, where most people live, there are annual hunting seasons. In these hunts, many leopards are killed. Hunting is done routinely by farmers and locals who are simply looking to provide their families with their daily food rations. This is usually done using poison. These hunts are controversial as locals fiercely oppose this practice, arguing that it both poisons the entire hunt and does little to slow down the rampant population of bears. The Russian government is currently working to try to defuse this conflict. The U.S. Embassy in Moscow has provided funding and has worked with environmentalists to lobby for the Russian government to stop these yearly hunting seasons.
The current state of the Amur Leopard
Over the last couple of centuries, the Amur leopard went from being a free-roaming cat to being confined to a very small area with only 70 individuals left. The first thing that needs to be understood is that unlike most other wild animals in the Far East, the Amur Leopard can still sustain itself. It was hunted to near extinction throughout most of its history. Of course due to the hunting pressures of humans, the overall population has significantly reduced. The shortage of available prey has led to the growth of a secondary predator: the Manchurian Tiger. The Manchurian, especially in large tiger ranges, has begun preying upon the Leopard’s food supply, making it very vulnerable to extinction in the wild. The second issue is on the humans’ end. The majority of these rare animals live in very small areas on the steppes of the Russian Far East. Additionally, they are mostly nocturnal, meaning they sleep and forage during the day. Being nocturnal also means they have to live constantly on their food hunt. Their ability to roam much larger distances in search of food makes them extremely vulnerable to human conflict. Game ranches and conservationists frequently come into conflict with these dangerous leopards, who consider humans their primary hunting or prey. The country of Russia has been one of the leading funders and advocates for preserving Asian wildlife, as well as other threatened species. Their efforts have been on-point in protecting and rewilding the Amur Leopard. They are also developing one of the best protected areas in this region, the Lappai Biological Station. This 30,000 square mile portion of land seeks to preserve the natural patterns of the Amur Leopard and other rare and endangered species, primarily in the Russian Far East. In this proposed medicinal area alone, scientists have found 94 unique and endangered plants and animals, from rare Muscovy ducks and American persimmons to the Amur Leopard. It can take 5 to 10 years to wean an Amur Leopard from its mother, and from there it can live up to 25 years, with lifespans averaging 10 years old. The average life-span is estimated at 20 to 25 years.
Helping the Amur Leopard
The Amur Leopard has a relatively low natural reproduction rate, therefore, the lack of availability of safe and accessible contraception causes an increased number of unwanted pregnancies. As with most other wildlife species, Russian authorities release more cubs in the wild than is natural, causing genetic problems. The few adults that survive through the winters are usually captured and relocated to sanctuaries. Restraining the power of birth control and diverting these animals towards better managed sanctuaries could help improve the genetic makeup of its wild population, as well as moralize the decision to keep such valuable wild animals. If you wish to donate to the Amur Leopard Conservation, you can make a donation directly.
Conclusion
If we wish to conserve these endangered species then we must first protect their habitats. In order to bring about sustainable hunting we should decrease the hunting pressure by eliminating ammunition from urban areas. Hunting corridors will also allow protected panthers to roam free.