AMUR LEOPARD
The Russian Far East is home to a unique subspecies of leopard that has evolved to live in the temperate woods that make up the northernmost portion of the species' habitat. Usually, people associate leopards with the savannas of Africa. The Amur leopard can run up to 37 kilometer's per hour, much as other leopards. It has been said that this remarkable species can jump up to 10 feet vertically and more than 19 feet horizontally.
Amur leopards live alone. Strong and with deft feet, it conceals and transports incomplete kills to prevent other predators from stealing them. It has been observed that certain men remain with females following mating, and they could even assist in raising the offspring. Occasionally, many men pursue and engage in combat for a female. They may live up to 20 years in captivity and 10 to 15 years in the wild. The Amur leopard is sometimes referred to as the Korean, Manchurian, or Far Eastern leopard.
PHYSICAL CHARACTIRISTICS
APPEARANCE
Amur leopards are distinguished by their unique golden-yellow coat that is speckled with black rosettes on it. Compared to other leopards, their fur is lighter and more dense, which helps in their capacity to fit in with their snowy, woodland surroundings.
Size
Male are generally somewhat bigger than females, weighing around 55-85 kg (121-187 pounds), and between 70-105 kg (155-231 lbs.). When the tail is removed, their total length is between 107 and 136 cm (42 and 54 inches).
BEHAVIOUR
Amur leopards are secretive and lonely animals. They are primarily nocturnal, which means that nighttime is when they are at their most active.
Diet
Roe deer, sika deer, hares, and a variety of birds make up the majority of their food. Being clever predators, they will feed on tiny beings when needed.
PLACES
AMUR-HEILONG
The Amur leopard holds significance in terms of ecology, economy, and culture. Other species benefit from the preservation of its environment, such as Amur tigers and deer. We can bring them back and guarantee the region's long-term protection with the correct conservation initiatives.
THREATS
ILLEGAL WILDLIFE TRADE
The stunning patterned fur of the Amur leopard is a major reason for its poaching. A female and a male Amur leopard's skin were found in 1999 by an undercover research team near the Russian hamlet of Bara bash. The leopards were being sold for $500 and $1,000, respectively. The villages and agricultural areas around the leopards' natural habitats. Because of this, the woodlands are somewhat easily accessed, which makes poaching an issue for both the leopards and significant prey species like hare, sika deer, and roe deer, which the people kill for both food and profit.
PREY SCARCITY
There are still substantial areas of appropriate habitat in China and Russia on both sides of the Amur. There is not enough prey in China for big populations of tigers and leopards to survive. If steps are done to restrict the poaching of prey species and manage the forests more responsibly for logging, prey numbers will rebound. The Amur leopard must repopulate its old area in order to live over the long run. However, prey populations must first rebound in order for it to occur.
STOPPING POACHING AND TRADE
Since there is now such a small remaining population, every Amur leopard kills increases the likelihood of the species going extinct. In the Russian Far East's Amur leopard habitat as well as in northeast China's recognised leopard hotspots, WWF funds antipoaching initiatives. The WWF runs initiatives to halt the illicit trafficking in Amur leopard parts. Our collaboration with TRAFFIC, the biggest wildlife trade monitoring network globally, enables governments to impose both internal and international trade restrictions on items originating from Amur leopards. Because of their listing on CITES Appendix I, Amur leopards are protected against any kind of commercial trade.
MONITORING POPULATIONS
WWF keeps an eye on the habitat and population of Amur leopards. Our camera traps have frequently produced incredible results, giving people worldwide a glimpse of the rarest wild cat on the planet. In order to offer founding animals for the reconstruction of prey populations, we also endeavor to enhance the number of leopard prey, such as roe deer, sika deer, and wild boar. We even release these deer into new reserves in China.
PROTECTING AMUR LEOPARD HABITATS
This endeavor include expanding China's and Russia's protected land areas, decreasing illicit and unsustainable logging, and promoting commerce between businesses engaged in ethical forestry. The Russian government was successfully persuaded to divert a proposed oil pipeline that would have put the leopard's habitat in jeopardy in 2007 by WWF and other environmentalists.
In order to guarantee the Amur leopard's existence for generations to come, worldwide collaboration is essential to the continuous protection and preservation of this exquisite species.
A SAFE HEAVEN
A new protected area was established by the Russian government in 2012, providing a safe refuge for Amur leopards. This represented a significant attempt to rescue the rarest cat in the world and was named Land of the Leopard National Park. It covers all of the Amur leopard's breeding grounds and almost 60% of the severely endangered cat's surviving habitat, covering an area of close to 650,000 acres. Ten Amur tigers, which are endangered, also reside in the park. Since 2001, WWF has worked to get this park established in the Russian Far East.
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