The Silent Killer Under Peril

This blog is about the most endangered and rare cat on the entire planet. Its an apex predator that has astonishingly adapted itself to really harsh climate specifically a very cold weather. Usually we see big cats in open grassland and savannahs of Africa but this ambush predator has some remarkable skills to survive and hunt in high altitudes. This cat is known as the Amur Leopard.

About Amur Leopards –

Amur Leopard (Panthera pardus orientalis), is categorized as one of the eight subspecies of leopards found in the Primorye region of Southeast Russia and Northern China. Amur Leopards are remarkably adapted to their natural range in extreme weather conditions. They grow a thick winter coat during winters which is around 7 to 8 cm long and during summers their summer coat grows up to 2 to 3 cm. They are nocturnal, solitary and highly territorial animals. Amur Leopards can live up to 10 to 15 years in the wild and up to 20 years in captivity. Their light and athletic body helps them to leap up to 19 feet horizontally and 10 feet vertically.

Let’s discuss about how the Amur Leopards are adapted for hunting their prey. Like any other member of the big cat family, the Amur Leopards have sharp-pointed barbs on their tongue, called Papillae, which they use to scrape the meat of the bones of its prey. These sharp barbs on their tongue can be compared to a very rough sandpaper. Now if they rub their tongue a few times on your arm, they can surely lick your upper skin off. The Amur Leopards have a paler coat than other leopards, this helps them to camouflage in their surroundings and it is very difficult to spot them while they are camouflaged.

They have large paws which are adapted to act like snow shoes thus helping them to walk with ease on snow without sinking and without making any noise. And for this reason they are also known as Silent Killers as they are very good at sneaking up on their prey.

Unfortunately these magnificent animals are categorized as critically endangered according to the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Their current population is less than 100 individuals (around 70) in the wild which has increased as compared to 2007 when only around 20 to 30 were alive. But this should not be a reason to sit and relax as their population is still deep in the danger zone.

Threats to Amur Leopards

Surprisingly, all the threats to the Amur Leopards are human-induced and very well connected to each other. The list of them is as follows –

1. Habitat Destruction – Between the years 1970 and 1983, Amur Leopards lost around 80 percent of their habitat to illegal logging, forest fires, using land for agricultural purposes, gas pipeline plans, expansion of road networks, mineral extraction, etc. Among these forest fire in Russia is a significant cause for habitat loss, and almost all of them are man-made forest fires. This leaves the place barren and inhabitable for Amur Leopards. Also, the long and soft fur of the Amur Leopards can easily catch fire and leave them in severe burns or potentially kill them.

2. Prey Scarcity –

Now prey scarcity itself has a few reasons –

• The natural range where Amur Leopards are found has extreme climatic conditions where food is not easily available especially during winters. It becomes all the way more difficult when females have their cubs with them. Among Amur Leopards the cubs stay with their mothers for a period of 2 years before departing and living their lives alone, but for the initial 2 years they completely rely on their mothers.

• With increase in deforestation and habitat loss, many animals lose their habitats, including animals that are a part of their diet.

• Increase is poaching of wild boars and deer leads to shortage of food supply for the Amur Leopards.

3. Poaching – Back in the days and even now, Amur Leopards were recklessly poached for their soft spotted fur which can costs up to 1000 US Dollars per skin. As human settlements have started encroaching their area, it has become easier for hunters to enter nearby forests to hunt the Amur Leopards. This easy accessibility is another reason for increased poaching.

4. Human Conflicts – Now since Amur Leopards are losing their natural prey, they start moving to human settlements in search of food sources. Russians at the far east raise deer for human consumption and to produce antlers for the Asian medicine market. These deer farms attract Amur Leopards, since there is an absence of food in their natural range. As they enter these farms, humans attack and kill them in order to save their livestock.

5. Vulnerable population size and Inbreeding – In the wild, father and daughter Amur Leopards gave been seen mating. This is not good for a species as it can lead to genetic problems including reduced fertility but they cannot be blamed as they have no choice because of their low population and even they want to save their species like any other.

6. Competition – The area where Amur Leopards are found, lives another apex predator known as the Amur Tiger. Now since the Amur Leopards are facing a food scarcity, so are the Amur Tigers and this deficit makes them hunt for the Amur Leopards. It has been documented Amur Tigers chasing and killing Amur Leopards. Although it is not a significant reason for their population decline.

The wildlife authorities of the respected nations along with other organizations are working day and night to save this species. We need to realize that all of these threats are human induced and curbing our greed can positively impact their species and raise their population and thus maintain the environmental balance of their natural range. We won’t be able to conserve them until and unless we understand them and their importance for the ecosystem. Our needs shouldn’t harm an innocent as each and every individual Amur Leopard is important for the survival of their species. We have no right to crush their right of continuing to inherit this planet just like we have. We shouldn’t use our might and power to eradicate them but it needs to be used to coexist with them.