Nicky

The Amur Leopard is the most endangered big cat in the world. While the Amur Leopard has many different ways that they have adapted to survive in the wild, these leopards might die-out. Currently, there are only seventy Amur Leopards left in the wild. The Amur leopards face many different threats and need humans to help in order to thrive. If people start to help the conservation of the Amur Leopard, species they might still be able to survive. 

An Amur Leopard often tries to control a wide range of land so they can have enough food to live. One Amur Leopard will try to obtain about fifty-eight square miles of land to live and hunt. These leopards live in areas with harsher winters and humid, hot summers such as Eastern Russia and North Eastern China. These leopards have thick coats with longer fur to keep them warm in the winter. They also are slightly paler in color than other species of leopard, so they can blend in with their surroundings amid the snow. 

Unfortunately, despite their natural adaptations to help them survive, these unique big cats are critically endangered. There are about seventy of these leopards left in the wild, and they are facing many threats. The Amur Leopard is losing the much needed space to humans, who tear down the trees to make room for new construction. Additionally, humans influence climate change in a negative way, which has resulted in more wildfires, making less and less area livable for the Amur Leopards. Finally, human poaching has targeted the Amur Leopards as well as their natural prey—deer and wild boar—which impacts the overall population greatly.

Fortunately, some people have started to notice the decline in the population of the Amur Leopards and decided to help. A group of Russians have decided to start a conservation effort for the Amur leopard. They are working with other conservation specialists around the world to find ways to save the big cats and increase the population of the leopards. These people have been breeding these leopards in captivity so they can be released into the wild. These people are also setting up people to fight wildfires and poaching. These efforts are helping the population because they not only spread the word, but increase the likelihood of big changes to help the leopards being made. If people continue to help spread the word of the dire situation, the leopards will be saved. 

References

“Saving the Amur Leopard, the World’s Most Endangered Big Cat.” Wildlife Vets International, Wildlife Vets International, n.d., www.wildlifevetsinternational.org/projects/reintroduction-of-amur-leopard.