AMUR LEOPARD

 
Main threats for the survival of the Amur leopard:

Habitat-loss due to repeated seasonal forest fires

Direct persecution of leopards by local villagers living in the leopard range

Genetic impoverishment due to low numbers

Depletion of wildlife resources by Chinese that (illegally) cross the Russian border in the leopard range

Depletion of prey by over-hunting and poaching by local villagers as well as "weekend" hunters from the close-by cities of Vladivostok and Ussurisk

Extreme low punishments in Russia for hunting violations and trade in leopard skins as a result of inadequate Russian laws

Few people, even in Primorye, are aware of the existence of Amur leopards, and this results in a lack of local and international support for its conservation
 
 
 

 

 
Amur leopard

Occurring across almost the whole of Africa and most of Asia, the leopard has the widest distribution of any felid. Despite the wide occurrence of the species, the Amur or Far Eastern leopard (Panthera pardus orientalis) is perhaps the most endangered large cat in the world. Recognized as one of eight leopard subspecies and named for the Amur River that forms much of the border between China and Russia, it has a long winter coat and is easily distinguished from other leopards by its large rosettes. Many specialists consider it to be the most beautiful of the leopards. It certainly is a remarkable large cat, in some ways reminiscent of the snow leopard. In the sixties and seventies the Amur leopard was still found in considerable numbers in former Manchuria in China, on the Korean peninsula and in the southern part of Primorye in the Russian Far East. The Amur leopard is now restricted to a small patch of habitat in Southeast Russia along the Chinese and Korean borders, where no more than forty individuals survive.
Amur leopard crossing stream (Y. Shibnev)
 

The future

The future of te Amur leopard may look bleak, but it is not hopeless. We have to bear in mind that the Amur tiger also bounced back from a low point of less than 50 individuals in Russia to the present population of approximately 400 tigers. We expect that more sustainable hunting, improved anti-poaching, fire-fighting and conservation measures in China will result in an increase of the leopard population. Conservationists also consider to re-introduce Amur leopards into parts of its former range where they have disappeared approximately 30 years ago, but where conditions seem more favourable at present.

Tigris Foundation and its ALTA partners have developed a very comprehensive programme in Russia and China for the conservation of the Amur leopard, that includes:

  • Training and financial support for several anti-poaching teams
  • Support for custom services that deal with illegal wildlife trade 
  • Forest fire-fighting 
  • Compensation for livestock killed by tigers and leopards 
  • A comprehensive education and public awareness programme 
  • Habitat, prey and leopard population monitoring 
  • Land-use planning and ecological research 
  • Support for the creation and management of protected areas

The programme is managed with very little bureaucracy and implemented with very limited funds.