Facts about Amur leopard

It is also known as the Russian leopard, Korean leopard, Far East leopard, or Manchurian leopard.

There are eight subspecies of leopards in total: African, Indian, Javan, Arabian, Amur, Indochinese, Sri Lankan, and Panthera pardus tulliana (native to Turkey and the Iranian Plateau).

It is the tenth longest river in the world, flowing through China, Mongolia, and Russia.

There are approximately 100 wild individuals alive.

Hermann Schlegel, a German zoologist, discovered its pelt while on a survey in Korea.

Males typically weigh between 32 to 48 kg, but their weight can exceed 75 kg. Females generally weigh between 25 and 43 kg.

Amur leopard’s rosettes are spaced further apart than other leopard species.

This, combined with their paler coat, adapts them to the cold, snowy climate. Their large paws prevent them from sinking in the snow.

Although they would feed on hares, badgers, or mice, they prefer larger prey, even three times their size. They hunt for boars and deer, silently sneaking up on them, and attacking at the perfect moment. Their most preferred are the Siberian roe deer, Siberian musk deer, Manchurian sika deer, Manchurian wapiti, and even Amur moose (Amur elk), which are considered the world’s largest deer.

They hunt at dusk or dawn, sleeping through most of the day.

In captivity, they can live up to 20 years.

After this period, they become fully independent and capable of surviving on their own.

Their typical territory covers an area of 310 square kilometers. They roam in groups only during the mating season.

The main reason behind their small numbers is excessive poaching and loss of their habitat. Fortunately, their numbers slowly, but systematically, grow, in large part thanks to the Land of the Leopard National Park in Primorsky Krai at the Russian-Chinese border. Its main goal is the protection of the species. When it was established in 2012, there were between 30 and 60 individuals of the Amur leopard in the wild. Nowadays, there are approximately 100 wild Amur leopards alive, and an additional 200 in reserves and zoos.

There are so few Amur leopards living in the wild, the small genetic diversity in the gene pool may lead to inbreeding depression.