Threats to the Amur Leopard
Michael Durham, Oregon Zoo
Photo by Michael Durham
With a population of 30-40 in the wild, the Amur leopard (Panthera pardus orientalis) is the world's rarest - and arguably most beautiful - big cat.
With increasing support from Russian and Chinese authorities, scientists and conservationists are making great efforts to save the remaining Amur leopard population. The strategy to stabilize and expand the leopard population includes fighting poaching, increasing education, and protecting habitat. These efforts are jeopardized by the planned Siberia-Pacific Pipeline and Perevoznaya Oil Terminal.
Habitat loss is by far the greatest threat to the remaining Amur leopard population. Both Stage One and Stage Two of the Siberia-Pacific Pipeline will further endanger the leopard and could be the last straw for the species. Construction of an oil terminal in Perevoznaya will bring infrastructure, people, and noise to the edge of the leopard habitat. Completion of the final leg of the pipeline from Skovorodino to Perevoznaya will only make the situation worse.
Other threats to the Amur leopard population include poaching and harassment by villagers and vacationers, inadequate punishment and poor enforcement of anti-poaching laws, decline of prey populations, forest fires, and genetic impoverishment caused by low numbers.
The leopard is a nocturnal carnivore, feeding on deer, wild boar, and hares.
- Average weight: males 82-198 lbs.; females 62-132 lbs
- Lifespan: 23 years in captivity
- Jumping ability: 20 feet horizontally, 10 feet vertically
- Color: reddish-yellow in summer; lighter in winter; spots are widely spaced rosettes with thick borders
- Body: long legs and hair help to survive in snowy conditions
Read about the Amur Leopard Conservation Support Program.
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Related Articles:
"Rare Leopard 'Faces Extinction'" - BBC, January 2005
