In-Dangered
Far into the east of Russia, near the Amur river, resides one of the worlds most endangered species of cat. Panthera Pardus Orientalis, better known as the Amur Leopard, has an estimated amount of 27-32 adults left alive in the wild. These large wild cats are creatures with a pale cream coat spotted with rosettes of black rings and dark centers. They also sport beautifully light blue-green eyes helping to give them the nickname of an 'emerald leopard'.
It's not hard to see why these great cats are endangered. With their beautifully colored coats and fur that can grow to be almost 8cm thick in winter, they are a top target for poachers. It isn't only a number of Russians kill the Amur Leopard near the town of Vladivstok though, skins have also been found within north east China. It is illegal to kill the Amur Leopard yet there is still murder of these great cats coming to be. That is not the only reason these great creatures are falling closer and closer to extinction however.
Another reason is the deforestation of their habitat, mostly via fire. The forest is constantly being burned to help stimulate the nearby fern growth, to use in cooking dishes, as well as to create room for the developement of civilization. The leopard seems to roam near the borders of Russia, china and North Korea, and as civilization grows, including railways, pipelines and cities, the impact on the near by environment becomes greater. this ends up killing the prey animals of the Amur Leopard, resulting in either starvation or the forcing of the cats to invade nearby farms for food.
There's good news to all this though. The creation of The Amur Leopard and Tiger Alliance (ALTA). This group has, for many years, been gathering finances and starting conversation projects in Russia and China to help save the Amur Leopard as well as the tigers of Russia and China. This group has programs for anti-poaching, fire-fighting, compensation for livestock death and many more ways to help humans live alongside the wild cats.
Last year only 11 Amur Leopard skins had been found and 2009 looks to be a better year still. Heres hoping the conservation of the Amur Leopard becomes a higher priority in its homeland and that the species grows in numbers.
C. Latimer