The Amur leopard is a critically endangered subspecies of leopard found in far eastern Russia and northern China. Historically they have ranged into Korea, and possibly Japan. In the early 2000s it was believed that less than 50 individuals remained in the wild (although poor monitoring resources for this elusive animal made those estimates shaky at best).
Poaching is one of the greatest threats to Amur leopards, as the leopards as well as their prey are targeted. They also face habitat loss due to forest degradation and urbanization, and have suffered from decreased genetic diversity and inbreeding that is associated with a number of health problems.
However, there is good news! In 2001, a conference was held in Vladivostok to work on devising a plan that would save the Amur leopard and Amur tiger from the brink of extinction. In the years since, cooperative efforts in Russia and China have led to increased transboundary population monitoring, anti-poaching initiatives, pressure against development of mines and pipelines in the leopard’s vital habitat, construction of a wildlife tunnel under a major highway, and the establishment of more protected wilderness areas in both countries.
One such area, the Land of the Leopard National Park (Национальный парк «Земля леопарда») was established in 2012 in Primorsky Krai along the Chinese border. This 647,000 acre park covers approximately 60% of the leopard’s remaining habitat. In 2018 the park announced that there were 84 adults and 19 adolescents within its border.
For the first time in decades, the Amur leopard population is over 100.
Drawn for #endangeredanimalsweek on instagram
