Amur Leopard Fact File - Case Study Example

Amur Leopard Amur Leopard is a subspecies of leopards native to Primorye, Russia, and Northeast China. The IUCN has declared this species endangered since 1996. According to a survey in 2007, only 19-26 Amur Leopards were in existence (Jackson and Nowell, 2008). A recent data (February 2015) indicated that the population has improved, with at least 57 Amur leopards in existence in Russia and about 12 in the neighboring Chinese region (Omer, 2015). Amur Leopards are among the most endangered animals of the world (Sugimoto, Taro, et al. 2006). With strict laws against poaching and proper care these endangered species might be out of danger in the future. Amur leopards appear different from others subspecies. They are also called the Manchurian or Korean leopard. This subspecies is exquisite and is often compared with the snow leopard (Brakefield 83). It lives further north than any of the other typical leopards and survives in harsh conditions. Its spot pattern is different than a snow leopard’s. Their design is diverse, for instance, the Amur leopards found in northeastern China and Korean Peninsula have cream-colored pale fur. The pale color is especially prominent in winters. The rosettes are widely spaced (Brakefield 83). The flanks rosettes are about 5 cm x 5 cm, with spaces between them reaching up to 2.5 cm (Pocock, 1930). Just like snow leopards Amur leopards are significantly less active in the summers than in spring (Margulis, Hoyos and Anderson, 2003). The Amur Leopard lives in the northernmost parts of the world for leopards. Its historic range extends throughout northeastern China (hence the name Manchurian), the southern part of Primorski Krai, Russia, as well as Korean Peninsula (“altaconservation.org”). During the twentieth century, this habitat considerably shrank due to poaching and habitat loss. This subspecies of leopards is relatively smaller. The males are bigger than the females. They typically measure from 107 to 136 cm and weigh about 40 kg on average (Heptner, Vladimir Georgievich 203). The females weight between 25-43 kg. They breed at an age of 3-4 years. The gestation period lasts about 12 weeks and the birth results in one liters of 1-4 cubs (“altaconservation.org”). The mother keeps the cubs with her for up to two years before they become independent. Breeding seasonality has been observed of these leopards in captivity. The peak birth months have been found to be spring and early summer (“altaconservation.org”). Amur leopards can live up to 10 to 15 years in the wild while in captivity they have lived up to 20 years. At the beginning of the twentieth century, Amur leopards were still found in southern Primorsky Krai region. Dmitry Pikunov and Vladimir Abramov were the first people that reliably estimated the leopard numbers in Russia in the winters of 1972-1973 (“altaconservation.org”). By that time, there were an estimated 38 to 46 leopards remaining. The majority of these individuals mainly depended upon the border area between China and Russia. The 1985 survey indicated that Amur leopards had disappeared from the area near Lake Khanka and Sikhote Alin. According to an estimation they went extinct in the wild in South Korea by the late 1960s. Amur Leopards are very conservative in choosing their territories. For instance, one leopard might be located in a river basin extending to its natural topographical borders. There are instances when the territories of two leopards merges but the overlap is not by a significant margin. The gender and the family size of a leopard determines the territory it claims. Repetitive behavior has been observed in their constant migration paths as well as in their hunting grounds. These cats prey upon a wide variety of animals. Their favorite prey includes rabbits, badgers, sika dear and roe deer. They are nocturnal when it comes to hunting and like to hunt in larger territories to avoid competition. Just like the leopards in the rest of the world they silently observe their prey and sneakily get close. When close enough, suddenly they explode into actions. They can reach up to the speed of 35 miles per hour when chasing the prey. They also have the capability to carry their unfinished prey up on the trees to prevent other predators from stealing it. Due to deforestation their prey is getting fewer in numbers. Hence, their survival in the wild gets even more difficult. Therefore, efforts are underway to breed them in captivity. With inbreeding some species thrive in captivity. Sometimes the Zoos and other breeding facilities find it difficult to maintain a large population when they get too many offsprings. Just like the Siberian tiger the Amur leopard have been bred in captivity but only a few can be managed in a single collection (Hambler and Canney 230). In other words, a larger facility is required to properly breed Amur leopards. One can wait till they can be reintroduced in the wild where they currently face many life threatening challenges. Poaching, loss of habitat and genetic diversity are the major threats that Amur Leopards face (Sunquist and Sunquist 51). Other than poaching deforestation for timber retards the production of mast, which is a staple for many animals, therefore, it degrades the population of leopards’ favorite prey such as deer, wild boar, goral, sika deer and musk deer (Brakefield 83). The endangered status of this leopard is mainly because of human activity. Besides poaching, forest fires, inbreeding and development, the lack of political commitment are among the reasons why they are still endangered. Due to the efforts of some participating zoos that actively bred these cats, importing them to Canada from Europe was made possible (Hayward and Somers 397). There are about 200 of these leopards living in captivity mostly across the European, North American and the former Soviet Union zoos. The majority of these leopards are part of the managed conservation breeding program. While some of these individuals may be proposed for a reintroduction plan that will probably occur in Lazovsky Nature Reserve in Southern Sikhote Alin. The primary activities regarding conservation include population monitoring, firefighting, ecological and biomedical research, anti-poaching, compensation of livestock, and education. Amur leopards are amazing creatures. They need our attention and care. The world must not forget that it is us, the humans that have made the life difficult for these leopards. The wrong mindset that this planet solely belongs to humans is destroying it. It is pleasant to know that conservation efforts are being made to protect the leopards but still there is a long way to go. References "Amur Leopard Factfile - Panthera Pardus Orientalis." ALTA Conservation RSS. N.p., n.d. Web. 13 May 2015. Brakefield, Tom. Big Cats: kingdom of might. Voyageur press, 1996. Heptner, Vladimir Georgievich, ed. Mammals of the Soviet Union, Volume 2 Part 2 Carnivora (Hyenas and Cats). Vol. 2. Brill, 1992. At the other is a Hambler, Clive, and Susan Canney. Conservation. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge UP, 2004. Print. Hayward, Matt, and Michael J. Somers. Reintroduction of Top-order Predators. Chichester, UK: Wiley-Blackwell, 2009. Print. Margulis, Susan W., Catalina Hoyos, and Meegan Anderson. "Effect of felid activity on zoo visitor interest." Zoo Biology 22.6 (2003): 587-599. Omer, Amal. "World's Rarest Wild Cat Doubles in Number."WorldWildlife.org. World Wildlife Fund, 23 Feb. 2015. Web. 13 May 2015. Pocock, R. I. "The panthers and ounces of Asia". Journal of the Bombay Natural History Society 34 (1930): 64–82. Jackson, P., and Nowell K. "Amur Leopard (Panthera Pardus Ssp. Orientalis)." IUCNREDLIST.org. N.p., 2008. Web. 13 May 2015. Sugimoto, Taro, et al. "Species and sex identification from faecal samples of sympatric carnivores, Amur leopard and Siberian tiger, in the Russian Far East." Conservation Genetics 7.5 (2006): 799-802. Read More