The most interesting facts about the Amur leopard.

Amur leopard is the most beautiful “cat”! We created a list of the most interesting Amur leopard facts.

“The Far Eastern leopard” and “Amur panther” are synonyms of “Amur leopard.”

1.  Amur leopard is the rarest “cat” in the world, and today its population has only 50 individuals, and just a few years ago it was even smaller – 30 individuals.
2. As of 1956, hunting for the leopard in Russia is prohibited.
3. Far Eastern leopard is the only leopard species that is able to live and hunt in the snow.
4. Far Eastern leopard lives in taiga forests.
5.  Natural habitat of Amur leopard is located around the area of the borders of the three countries – Russia, China and North Korea (Far East), but soon we’ll be able to speak of the preservation of the species only in Russia.
6.  Amur leopard, unlike other leopard species, is not a threat to people, as it initially chose a niche of an “invisible shadow.”
7. The weight of a female leopard may be up to 50 kg, male – up to 60 kg.
8.  From its tropical counterparts the Amur leopard differs by its thick long fur.
9.  In the summer the length of leopard fur is 2.5 cm, and in winter – 5 cm on the back and 7 cm on the belly!
10.  Leopardhas very sharp eyesight, and it can see its victim from a distance of up to 1.5 km.
11.  Leopard can reach speeds of up to 60 kilometers per hour.
12.  Leopard can jump to a height of up to 3 meters.
13.  Far Eastern leopard has a lighter fur than other leopards.
14.  Far Eastern leopard goes hunting shortly before sunset and hunts during the first half of the night.
15. This predator can cleverly hide and approaching its victim it evades dry branches, follows in the footsteps of other animals, so as not to scare off the prey.
16.  Leopard strikes its prey from a distance of 5-10 meters.
17.  Leopard hunts for hoofed animals (deer, young wild boar, spotted deer and red deer calves), as well as rabbits, badgers, raccoon dogs, pheasants and grouse.
18. In favorable conditions, the predator catches one roe deer every two weeks.
19. This representative of the cat family can endure long periods of hunger: from 12 to 25 days until it catches large prey.
20. In the conditions of lack of food, the Amur tiger becomes a deadly rival for leopard.
21.  Leopard lives alone.
22. Amur leopard is able to start reproducing at the age of 2.5–3.
23. A male forms a couple with a female only during the breeding period.
24.  The lair of a female is a cave, a cleft in the rock pitcovered with bushes.
25. The pregnancy of a femalelasts three months.
26.  Female Amur leopard is able to deliver from 1 (more often) to 3 (occasionally) cubs.
27. Leopard cubs are helpless in the first two weeks, and the mother does not let their father near them and brings them up herself.
28.  Mother teaches cubs to eat meat by belching for them half-digested meat.
29.  Young leopards are always with their mother until her next mating season.
30.  When, during a new mating season, the mother leaves young leopards, they stick together until the end of winter, and then begin their independent lives.
31.  In the wild leopard usually lives up to 10-15 years, and in zoos – up to 21 years.
32. All Amur leopards that are currently in zoosare closely related, so their breed degrades.
33. In the National Park “Land of the Leopard” (Russian Far East) you can take a special “Path of the leopard.” It is not likely that any of the tourists will get to see a leopard, but you can probably observe the footsteps of the Amur leopard and Amur tiger, even on the trail itself.
34. Amur leopard is a very curious animal, and very often after the tourists are gone, leopard will “check” what the people were doing on the eco trail.
35. If the leopard got into the frame of an operator who was in hiding – this is not luck, but trust: leopard isn’t simply aware that the operator is in hiding, he knows exactly who it is.
36. Leopards rarely appear in places ridden with frequent fires.

P.S. Real life of a real leopard family, recorded using a number of automatic cameras (the world’s only video recording):

And more unique recordings with leopard:

See more:

Where is the Amur Leopard habitat?

What Amur Leopard eats?

Why is the Amur Leopard endangered?

Amur Leopard population

фото-фотобанк Лори