The Amur Leopard: One of the World's Most Endangered Species

By: Ashritha Manthena

The Amur leopard, also known as the Manchurian or Korean leopard, is a subspecies that has been marked as critically endangered since 1996. This means it's a species that is likely to become extinct within the next three generations or has a population of less than 250 adult animals. In the case of the amur leopard, it is estimated to be only around 100 in the entire world, making it the rarest big cat. This species is found in north eastern China, specifically in the heilongjiang Province, or the Jilin Province. It is also found in far eastern Russia in areas such as the southwest primorye. They were first sighted in Korea in 1857 by German Zoologist Hermann Schlegel; however, sadly, the South Korean population of amur leopards went extinct in the late 1960s. habitat consists of forests and is considered temperate, with hot summers and harsh winters. The amur leopard adapts to this climate by growing fur as thick as 7.5 cm in the winters. This unique feature of theirs also makes it a target for poachers, who aim to collect their spotted fur. Additionally, the range of territory amur leopards inhabit has significantly decreased since the beginning of the 20th century due to threats such as habitat loss, as forest fires deplete the trees in their ecosystem. Infrastructure changes also impact this species with rapidly developing areas such as Southwest Primorye building ports, roads, and more that infringe on their habitat. Furthermore, they are vulnerable to diseases including the Canine Distemper Virus (CDV). Today, those in the wild have a lifespan of 10-15 years, while the majority that are held in captivity or in protected regions have the potential to live up to 20 years old. With your help, we can bring the population numbers of this subspecies up. Supporting or donating to organizations such as the WildCats conservation Alliance is one way to improve the conditions of the Amur leopard.