Lots of information about the Far Eastern Amur leopard. Far Eastern leopard or Amur leopard. Range, habitats

The Far Eastern leopard is also called the Amur, Manchurian or Korean leopard, as well as the Amur leopard.

These large spotted predators have chosen the mountainous taiga regions and wooded areas of Northeast China, Korea, and the Far East.

The Far Eastern leopard is the rarest subspecies of the cat family. Today at wild nature only 35 individuals of these unique big cats. Some experts claim that the number is even smaller - 20-25 individuals, while others generally argue that the population has completely disappeared in the taiga forests.

How to recognize the Amur leopard

The weight of male Far Eastern leopards varies between 32-48 kilograms, more than major representatives species weighing up to 60-75 kilograms. Females weigh much less compared to males, their weight reaches 25-43 kilograms.

The average body length of Amur leopards is 105-135 centimeters. At the withers, they reach 65-75 centimeters. Far Eastern leopards have a long tail about 80-90 centimeters in size.

The predator has thick, soft and long fur. IN summer time the length of the fur is 2.5 centimeters, and in winter the fur becomes much longer - 7.5 centimeters. The fur is shorter on the back than on the belly.

The main color of the skin is pale yellow, but the chest, belly and tips of the paws are lighter than the rest of the body. The skin is adorned with black spots. On the back and sides, the spots are closely adjacent to each other, and between them there are gaps of a yellowish-red color.

The coloring of Amur leopards is much lighter than that of African and Indian leopards. A distinctive feature of the Far Eastern leopards are blue-green eyes.

Lifestyle, nutrition and number of Amur leopards

At one time, the Amur leopard had a difficult time in the places where they lived. But, today, these problems are considered so insignificant in comparison with those created by man himself. The main reason for the extermination of the population of these unique predators is poaching.

Far Eastern leopards are hunted not only by the local population, but also by wealthy Russians from Vladivostok. Also, Chinese citizens who cross the border with Russia illegally make their contribution.

Since 2002, 9 Amur leopards have been shot in our country and 2 in China. Massive poaching is curbed by harsh laws. In this matter, the toughest policy is being pursued in China, where the death penalty is threatened for killing a Far Eastern leopard. In our country, the laws are more loyal - poachers receive 2 years in prison and a fine of 500 thousand rubles.

Deforestation, which is the main habitat of this predator, also leads to a reduction in the population of the Far Eastern leopard. locals they often set fire to the forest, thereby stimulating the growth of fern, which is one of the popular ingredients in Chinese and Far Eastern Russian cuisine. The sale of the fern brings in large incomes, and the population of the unique beast is declining. The number of these animals is frighteningly reduced.

Amur leopards feed mainly on spotted deer, roe deer, and. The current situation leads to the fact that big cats are forced to change their habitual habitat area, because they cannot provide themselves with the necessary amount of food. As a result, Far Eastern leopards often die from starvation and hunters' bullets.

Listen to the voice of the Far Eastern leopard

But if in China and on Far East it is rare to meet this predator, then in North Korea the situation is much sadder, where people have already destroyed almost all animals. The Korean leopard has not been seen on these lands for more than 40 years.

Reproduction of the Far Eastern leopard

These inhabitants of the taiga forests prefer a solitary lifestyle. Only during the mating season, males converge with females. The mating season falls, as a rule, in the month of January. Pregnancy in females lasts 3 months. The expectant mother is looking for a den, it can be a cave, a recess in the ground or a crevice between stones.

Babies are born in the spring, there are 2-3 cubs in the litter, they do not have eyesight, but their skin is already spotted. Young leopards do not leave their mother for 2 years. At 3 years old, they reach sexual maturity. In the wild, the life expectancy of Far Eastern leopards is 12-15 years. In captivity, these unique cats live longer - up to 20 years.

Protection and measures to increase the number of Amur leopards

The prospects for the population in the wild are very sad. Far Eastern leopards live in zoos, where they breed. Today in the zoos of our country, North America and Europe is home to 300 Amur leopards. Good breeding results for these animals have been achieved at the Tallinn Zoo in Estonia.

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Far Eastern leopard, or Amur leopard, or Amur leopard, or East Siberian leopard, or obsolete. Manchurian leopard - predatory mammal from the cat family. Distributed in the area of ​​mountain coniferous-broad-leaved and oak forests of the Far East, in the border area three countries- Russia, China and North Korea. Currently, the Far Eastern leopard is on the verge of extinction. This is the rarest of the leopard subspecies: as of February 2015, 57 individuals remained in the wild in the territory. national park"Land of the Leopard" and 8 to 12 in China

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In the XX century, the species was included in the Red Book of Russia, in the Red Book International Union Conservation of Nature and Annex I to the Convention on International Trade in Species wildlife and endangered flora, as well as a number of other titles of protection. Leopard hunting has been banned since 1956.

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Description The Far Eastern leopard has a slender and very flexible body, a long tail. The legs are relatively short but strong. The front paws are powerful and wide. The fur is soft, thick, relatively short and close fitting, not lush even in the cold season. In captivity, some individuals lived up to 21 years, in nature, life expectancy is much less - 10-15 years

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Hunting and Feeding The Far Eastern leopard is most active mainly one to two hours before sunset and in the first half of the night. In winter, in cloudy weather, it can hunt during the day. She always goes hunting alone, only females hunt together with grown-up kittens. Hunting is carried out on the ground, using two main methods of hunting: sneaking up on prey and waiting for it in ambush. Quietly sneaking up to the prey at 5-10 meters, he makes a sharp jerk and a subsequent series of jumps on the victim. Having killed large prey, single leopards live near its carcass for 5-7 days. If a person approaches the carcass, then usually the leopard does not show aggression and, after his departure, returns to his prey.

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Reproduction Leopards breed extremely slowly, pregnancy can occur once every three years. Usually there are 1-4 cubs in one litter, while females living in the territory of the PRC usually have 3-4 cubs in a litter, and females from Primorsky Krai have 1-3)