Panthera pardus orientalis
Far South East Russia
Critically Endangered
Conservation Urgency
There may be as few as 100 individual Amur leopards living in the Land of the Leopard preserve along the Russia-China border, the last area where these big cats exist in the wild. Conservation threats include prey species depletion, land fragmentation, poaching and now genetic bottleneck. Due to its small number, inbreeding has become prevalent within the species. At zoos like Niabi, we have been successful with conservation breeding efforts for one of the most critically endangered cats in the world.
Hunter
An adept nocturnal hunter, Amur leopards will seek out Roe and Sika Deer as their main prey sources. They will also hunt wild boar, wapiti and other small- to medium-sized ungulates. Although they are solitary hunters, pairs will hunt together during the breeding season. The leopard will cache their prey once hunted and captured to deter competition. Human hunters are the greatest threat to the food supply of the Amur leopard.
To learn more, download the Amur Leopard fact sheet.