Have you ever heard of the Amur Leopards? They are beautiful cats with sparkling eyes, strong tanned bodies and a majestic coat that have brown spots called rosettes on their golden pelt. They can be found in the far east of Russia and nearby areas in China. The spots help the leopards to camouflage in the trees of their habitat. Their fur grows up to 7.5 cm long in the harsh winters to protect them from the bitter cold. They are super fast runners, able to reach speeds up to 59.6 km/h. These leopards can also swim! Unfortunately, Amur leopards are one of the most endangered big cats in the world! Research conducted by non-governmental organization, World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF), reports an estimate of only 100 adult cats left in the wild. There are many reasons for their plight.

First, legal and illegal loggers are cutting down the trees that provide crucial cover for the leopards when hunting. The cover camouflages them and makes it harder for prey to spot them. Without cover, the leopards cannot catch its prey as effectively without being seen. The loggers also destroy many trees where Amur leopards’ prey, such as: hares, squirrels and other rodents, can find nuts and shelter. As a result, loggers are indirectly killing off many of the Amur leopard's prey, making it harder for the Amur leopards to find food. Not having enough food also affects the ability of the leopard mothers to give birth as the mothers do not have enough food to give their babies the milk necessary for them to survive. According to Tendua, the association for biodiversity conservation, 90% of the Amur leopard's natural habitat has been lost because of deforestation, nearly wiping out the prey. Undoubtedly, the work of legal and illegal loggers are destroying the food chain, wiping out most places where they can shelter, affecting their birth rate and making the already rare cubs even rarer.

Another reason that the Amur leopards are endangered is because they are being poached for their beautiful pelts. Their majestic fur is made into clothes, like jackets and handbags, and carpets. Each can be sold for up to US$500 to US$1000! Additionally, the Amur leopard’s fur is worth more than its cousins on the African savannas and jungles because their fur is longer and softer, thus more appealing. Therefore, Amur leopards in Russia are poached even more than those of African leopards. Poaching is an illegal practice but many companies actually help encourage this because they buy the poachers’ products to sell. It is devastating to know that these creatures are being killed for unnecessary causes.

It isn’t just the Amur leopards that are endangered due to poaching. Their primary prey, the Sika deers, are also endangered due to hunting. As there are less deers to hunt, leopards attack nearby farms and steal the livestock there. Unfortunately, their actions provoke farmers to shoot and kill them. This is extremely unjust as humans are the ones breaking their food chain, but also the ones to hurt them while they are adapting to finding new sources of food.

Surprisingly, a third threat for one of the Amur leopard's survival comes from within. As the Amur leopards are now so low in numbers, making the gene pool extremely small, they are starting to inbreed. Inbreeding is harmful because it can cause gene mutation and disease over time and negatively affect the species’ reproduction and population. If the cub’s parents have defective genes, it lowers the chances of the cub’s survival. For example, if the mother had one set of genes that made the leopard’s claws break easily, chances are that she will not be affected. The same goes for the father. But if the two breed together, they will give their offspring two sets of these genes. Thus, the offspring has an extremely high chance of having its claws break easily. Research from the Wildlife Conservation Society in Russia has reported long-term negative effects on the leopards such as heart murmurs and sperm production.

Despite the leopards’ many losses, there is still hope. Many people are trying to help and save these beautiful animals. The Russian and Chinese government as well as several non-government organizations have been conducting crucial work to save these leopards. One effective solution to rebuild the Amur Leopard’s population has been the creation of The Land of National Leopard Park in far east Russia. Built in the year 2000, the national park spans more than 650,000 acres, prohibits poachers and loggers and provides shelter and prey. In this park, the leopards can live in peace. From 2000 to 2022, the Amur Leopard’s population numbers have grown from a critical 30 to 100 adult leopards.

While it has been encouraging to see the population of Amur Leopards rise, there is still a lot of work to be done. Though certain improvements have been made, the fact that there are only 100 adult Amur Leopards on earth is a HUGE problem, as the gene pool is still very shallow and the balance is delicate. One way YOU can help is by being responsible consumers. Why should you buy products of REAL fur when man-made ones are equally realistic? If we are responsible with our purchasing power, the poachers won’t make money and slowly, poaching might die out as a job or a money-making opportunity! Though we need to clear out forests for farming and living, it is equally important to have wide protected areas where other animals can thrive and keep their mark on earth. Amur leopards are beautiful and harmless creatures. They deserve to be protected and saved. Why should we reject life to such a beautiful species to meet our own ends?