Critically endangered. Only 30 – 40 Amur leopards remain in the wild.
- They are a sub-species of leopard, solitary, nocturnal and distinguishable by its widely spaced rosettes with thick black borders.
- They live in the cold vast forests of Russia and north-east China in an area less than 2500 km2 , smaller than Dorset.
- They are at risk from:-
- being hunted for their striking pelts and their bones (used in traditional Asian medicines)
- loss of prey because of hunting, fires and destroyed habitat
- genetic degeneration from inbreeding
- Their habitat is under threat from:-
- human-induced forest fires creating unsuitable ‘savannah’ landscapes
- development projects