Amur Leopard             (Panthera pardus orientalis)

In 1998 an “Inspection Tiger” anti poaching team was established exclusively operating within the Amur leopard range. ALTA (the Amur Leopard & Tiger Alliance), an international consortium of interested parties, has developed programmes to combat current threats to this fragile population  including: Forest fire fighting (some natural-some deliberately set to clear forest for agricultural use), training & financial support for 3 anti poaching teams, Compensation for loss of live stock killed by leopards (to assist co-existence of man and leopard) prey and leopard population monitoring: small numbered populations are vulnerable to disease and in-breeding with no chance of natural subsequent out breeding. Estimated that around only 30 Amur leopards remain in the wild, surviving on a dedicated conservation area in Russia, west of Vladivostok-the Primorskii Krai; this is the world’s most endangered big cat. Reaching speeds of 37 mph and able to leap 20 feet horizontally and 10 feet vertically they are formidable predators; giving a suffocating vice like grip to the throat.

Being strong climbers they take a kill up a tree to eat alone. The main prey species of the Amur leopard are roe and sika deer along with hares and badgers.