The Amur leopard is an agile climber balancing on the brink of extinction. Years of hunting and habitat destruction have led to the Amur leopard becoming the most endangered feline, with less than 200 individuals in the wild. Amur leopards play a vital role in maintaining the balance of prey species in their habitat, which positively impacts both the forest they inhabit and the local communities dependent on it. So it is imperative that we do not leave this cat out in the cold!
Panthera pardus orientalis
15 years
50 - 75 centimetres
130 – 165 centimetres
♀ 25 - 43 kilograms
♂ 32 - 50 kilograms
Amur leopards have a slightly lighter-coloured coat than other leopards and have large, dark, black-bordered spots. Their fur can grow up to 7 centimetres long in winter. With their long legs and large feet, they move easily through the snow. Their long, thick tail not only helps them maintain balance when hunting but also serves as a warm scarf when needed!
Can you spot the difference between the Amur leopard and other leopards?
Amur leopards are named after the Amur River that runs between eastern Russia and China. They live here in mountainous coniferous and deciduous forests in which they each have a large territory. It can get very cold here in winter, but they are well adapted to this thanks to their dense fur.
The Amur leopard is a real assassin. At night, it chooses its unsuspecting victim and waits patiently for the right moment to strike. Then it sprints towards its prey to grab it with its claws and strong bite. In doing so, it reaches a speed of up to 56 kilometres per hour! Amur leopards hunt all kinds of prey, from hares to deer. When they are full, they carry the rest of their prey into a tree. Here it is more difficult for other animals, which also like a snack, to reach it. This way, the panthers can later just enjoy eating the meat themselves.
Amur leopards are solitary animals. This means that they prefer to live alone. They hunt alone and also find their own sleeping places. They do come together to mate, but then go their separate ways again.
In zoos, things are sometimes different. In recent years, the Amur leopards at Rotterdam Zoo have often shared their enclosure without fighting. This may be because they do not have to compete for food here.
Amur leopards do not have a standard mating season. A female can go into heat at any time of the year. A male smells her urine to determine whether she is ready to mate. He approaches her cautiously, as Amur leopards can be quite feisty! If there is a match, the pair usually stays together for about two days to mate. After that, the male leaves again.
A pregnant Amur leopard looks for caves, old burrows or hollow tree trunks as a safe place to hide. There she usually gives birth to two blind, helpless cubs. She stays with them for the first few days to take care of them. Then she leaves her cubs behind to go hunting. Sometimes she is away for up to 36 hours! After a successful hunt, she returns to nurse her cubs.
After about three months, the cubs are big enough to follow her. Five months later, their sharp fangs have come through and they learn to hunt for themselves. By the time they are two years old, they are usually old enough to stand on their own feet.
Although Amur leopards are formidable predators, they also share their habitat with brown bears and Siberian tigers. A fight with one of these large predators usually does not end well. That is why Amur leopards pay close attention to the scent of tigers and bears in order to avoid their paths. If they do encounter one, they would rather flee than fight.
Despite numerous laws prohibiting the hunting of Amur leopards, these animals are unfortunately still hunted illegally. They are highly sought after for their beautiful fur, for example. Their bones are also used in traditional Asian medicines, just like those of tigers and other Asian panthers. These medicines are said to have medicinal properties and help with conditions such as rheumatism and painful joints and muscles. However, these claims have never been scientifically proven and seem to be based solely on the powerful appearance of these animals. That is one of the reasons why they are critically endangered.
The forests where Amur leopards live are also under pressure. Fortunately, their numbers are closely monitored, for example with the aid of cameras. People are also working hard to preserve their habitat. In 2012, Amur leopards were given a safe haven: “The Land of the Leopard National Park” in Russia. This is an area of no less than 2,630 square kilometres! It seems that, partly thanks to this park, the Amur leopard is slowly recovering and is now also found in neighbouring areas in China.
Rotterdam Zoo participates in the European population management programme for the Amur leopard. Based on the pedigree of Amur leopards in zoos, the coordinator determines which animals are best paired with each other to produce healthy offspring. These cubs are then moved to other zoos to form the next generation. In this way, we are building up a healthy population as a back-up for the wild animals, with the ultimate goal of returning Amur leopards to their natural habitat when conditions there are favourable.