The Amur Leopard

The Amur Leopard is beautiful, with a pale cream coat, that is even lighter in the winter months, that is covered with rosettes that are far apart. They are think dark rings, black in color with solid circles in the center.

Well judge for yourself, are they not beautiful cats?


Amur leopard in Kedrovaya Pad (Yury Shibnev)
(Photo used with permission from ALTA Amur Leopard Conservation)

The length of the coat varies between one inch (2.5 centimeters) in the warm summer months to three inches (7.5 centimeters) in the cold winter months.

The males on the average weigh in between 70-105 lbs (32-48 kg), exceptionally large males can weight anywhere from 132-165 lbs (60-75 kg).

The females are smaller than the males at 55-94 lbs (25-43 kg).

The Amur leopard's past range extended throughout northeastern ("Manchurian") China, the southern part of Primorsky Krai in Russia and the Korean Peninsula.

During the 20th century, their range shrank dramatically. It is believed this is due to loss of their habitat, which is the temperate forests and to hunting.

Today, the Amur Leopard is critically endangered with only 27 to 35 cats remaining in Southwest Primorye.


Amur leopard crossing tree in nature reserve Kedrovaya Pad (Yury Shibnev)
(Photo used with permission from ALTA Amur Leopard Conservation)

There are probably up to 10 animals scattered throughout the Chinese Jilin and Heilongjiang Provinces, with the majority of animals concentrated near the Russian border.

The Amur leopard probably went extinct in the wild in South Korea in the late 1960s, although some recent, unconfirmed reports suggest that a few leopards may remain in and around the demilitarized zone between North and South Korea.

Buy at AllPosters.com

The Amur Leopards are carnivores and therefore their diet consists mainly of meat.

In the wild they feed on Roe deer, wild boar, sika deer, musk deer, badgers and hares


Juvenile Amur leopard enjoyed a meal in nature reserve Kedrovaya Pad (Yury Shibnev)
(Photo used with permission from ALTA Amur Leopard Conservation)

In the zoos they are fed a carnivore diet consisting of meat, bones, vitamins, and enrichment treats.

Buy at AllPosters.com

Buy at AllPosters.com

Buy at AllPosters.com

The average lifespan of a Amur Leopard in the wild is ten to fifteen years, in captivity up to 23 years.

The cats reach their sexual maturity at three years of age.


Amur leopard cub at Olomouc Zoo, Czech Republic (picture by M. Korinek)
(Photo used with permission from ALTA Amur Leopard Conservation)

The breeding season in in the late winter months, usually around January or February. The gestation period for the mother is 90-105 days. So their cubs are usually born April through June.

They have two to four cubs in their litters with an average of two.

The Amur Leopard cubs open their eyes after ten days and are weaned within three months. The stay with their mother until they are around eighteen months to two years in age.

Buy at AllPosters.com

The Amur Leopards once fully grown are solitary creatures.

They, much like any big cat, well like any cat period, they mark their territory with urine.

They hunt their prey swiftly, usually able to take it down with a few strides and a leap. They eat by themselves and will hide larger kills and return to finish them later.


Amur leopard at London Zoo, by Jonathan Buckmaster
(Photo used with permission from ALTA Amur Leopard Conservation)

The Amur leopard is a great climber, they spend a lot of their time in the trees. So the temperate forest is very important to them.

They are also strong swimmers, and do not hesitate to enter the water.

They can leap twenty feet across and ten feet high.

Their territories are large, thirty square miles they will travel to find food over a period of time.

Buy at AllPosters.com

Significant progress in conserving Amur leopards and tigers has been made over the last ten years.

A coalition of 13 international and Russian NGOs have pooled resources by creating ALTA(the Amur Leopard and Tiger Alliance).

ALTA is an informal coalition of funding and implementing agencies working together for the conservation of Amur tigers and leopards. ALTA members have been working together for many years in developing, financing and implementing conservation projects in Russia and China.

The key implementing agencies in ALTA are WCS Russia and the Vladivostok-based Phoenix Fund,
with other partners involved in Russia to a lesser degree;
The Moscow Zoo,
The Zoological Society of London (ZSL),
International Fund Animal Welfare (IFAW),
Tigris Foundation,
Wildlife Vets International,
Those providing relevant funding;
The Zoological Society of London (ZSL),
AMUR,
21st Century Tiger,
Tigris Foundation,
David Shepherd Wildlife Foundation,
Wildlife Alliance,
The Helsinki zoo,
and the Minnesota zoos.

ALTA's conservation approach is based on good science, thorough threat analysis and long-term commitment. Our projects are carefully monitored and evaluated. ALTA members co-operate closely with the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF), Russian NGOs and authorities and local institutes of the Russian Academy of Science.

zoo cub, courtesy Nancy Vandermey, EFBC-FCC, USA
(Photo used with permission from ALTA Amur Leopard Conservation)

The European/Russian zoo breeding programme (EEP - European Endangered species Programme) for Amur leopards is coordinated jointly by ALTA partners ZSL and Moscow Zoo, and the North American programme (PMP - Population Management Programme) by ALTA partner Minnesota Zoo

You can help the cause of the Amur Leopard in many different ways.

1. Donate money or time to the cause. You can visit any of the links provided above and they will tell you how you can donate money or time to help in the efforts to save the Amur Leopard.

2. Spread the word. Let's not let these animals dwindle away to extinction in the wild, just because no one really hears much about them. Help bring attention to their plight by spreading the word about them.

3. Help save the forest vital to their habitat. You can do this by supporting the people that are working to save their habitat in any way you can.

4. Support lobbying for improved conservation policies and regulations.

5. If you purchase an Amur Leopard Conservation T Shirts for only $15.00 you not only support the cause (All proceeds from sales of these shirts go directly to conservation of the few remaining Amur leopards and their habitat in the wild.) But you also help spread the word!

Don't let their Footprints fade away!

Hey Webmasters! - Add hundreds of thousands of images to your site - Free!

Join the AllPosters.com Affiliates Program and get access to hundred of thousands of images for your site. AllPosters.com has images from popular movies, music groups, sports teams, fine art, and much more. Adding these images to your site will enhance your content.

Furthermore, you get paid for improving your site with poster/print images! All of the images you use will link to AllPosters.com where your site visitors can make purchases. When they buy something, AllPosters.com pays you 25% - 30% of the sale. If the visitor decides to purchase within 10 days of their last visit from your website, you'll still earn commission on the sale! It's easy to sign-up, build links, and track your sales.

Sign up today!