Conservation

The Amur leopard's conservation status is CRITICALLY ENDANGERED, which means this leopard sub-species faces an extremely high risk of becoming extinct. Today, the number of Amur leopards is estimated to be around 84 left in the wild, and inhabits approximately less then 5,000 square km. They are currently found in a small area of the Russian Province of Primorsky Krai, between Vladivostok and the Chinese border, with most being located in Russia and a few in China.

There are many reasons as to why the Amur leopard is critically endangered, with the main reasons being habitat loss and fragmentation. Between 1970-1983 it has been estimated that the Amur leopard had lost as much as 80% of its former territory, from indiscriminate logging, forest fires, and land conservation for farming. Amur leopards also fight threats from prey scarcity, poaching and illegal trade. This leopard is poached largely for its beautiful, spotted fur bringing anywhere from $500-$1000.

Protecting the Amur leopard helps to look after the environment, which in return benefits all the other wildlife and people that share it! The Amur leopard is the top predator in its landscape and play a crucial role in keeping the right balance of species in their areas, which provides local wildlife and people with food, water and other resources. In efforts to protect this species some things that can be done is to increase the areas of protected land, reduce illegal and unsustainable logging practices, more punishment for illegal poaching, and adding more public education about the species niche to the ecosystem.

"Amur leopards received a safe haven in 2012 when the government of Russia declared a new protected area. Called Land of the Leopard National Park, this marked a major effort to save the world’s rarest cat. Extending nearly 650,000 acres it includes all of the Amur leopard’s breeding areas and about 60 percent of the critically endangered cat’s remaining habitat. The park is also home to 10 endangered Amur tigers. WWF lobbied for the establishment of this park in the Russian Far East since 2001." (Amur Leopard | Species | WWF, n.d.) In 2007, conservationists successfully convinced the Russian government to reroute a planned oil pipeline that would have endangered the leopard's habitat. One other project in place for the Amur leopard are efforts to release captive Amur leopards back into the wild, and the European Endangered Species Programme (EEP) will be the source of the reintroduction plan in the upcoming years.