Far Eastern
leopard
The Far Eastern, or Amur, leopard (Panthera pardus orientalis) is one
of the rarest subspecies of the cat family. Occupying the northernmost part of the leopard’s habitat, it has learned to hunt and survive in the snow.
The Far Eastern leopard, like other subspecies, is a loner, with the exception of females who have cubs. Cubs stay with their mother until they are mature. A female leopard bears cubs throughout the year. The size of the litter is two or three, or occasionally four cubs.
Far Eastern leopard cubs are born blind, with a thick coat of long fur
Eyes open after 7–9 days
Begin crawling in the den after 12–15 days
First venture out of
the den at 2 months
Cubs live with their mother till the age of 18 months
Sexual maturity reached
at 30–36 months, males mature later than females
Gestation duration is 90 days, usually 2-3 cubs
in the litter
Life expectancy is 15 years in the wild and 20 years
in captivity
Historical habitat

In the 19th century, the leopard's habitat stretched across the Korean Peninsula, eastern provinces of China and the southern part of Sikhote-Alin in Russia’s Primorye Territory. By mid-20th century, the Far Eastern leopard seemed to have disappeared from the Korean Peninsula. In eastern China, the subspecies survived only in the areas adjacent to the Russian border. By the mid-1980s it had vanished from the southern Sikhote-Alin. Today, the Far Eastern leopard inhabits mostly the southwestern part of the Primorye Territory.
The Far Eastern leopard inhabits Manchurian mixed forests of pine and deciduous broadleaf trees, preferring rugged terrain with steep slopes and protruding rocks
Previous habitat
Russia
China
North Korea
Diet The Far Eastern leopard usually goes out hunting an hour or two before sunset and keeps at it for the first half of the night, but sometimes it also stalks its prey during the day, especially on overcast or cold days or in winter. Hoofed mammals are its prey.
Causes for extinction

Today the Far Eastern leopard is on the brink of extinction. It’s the rarest subspecies of the cat family with only about 80 Far Eastern leopards living in the wild, mostly in the Primorye Territory, Russia.
Reduced food supply
Hoofed mammals, the leopard’s main food source, have been dying out due to deforestation and poaching
Habitat destruction
The risk of wildfires in the leopard’s habitat has increased due to deforestation and mining. The roads built during deforestation make the animal’s habitat even more accessible to humans
Poaching
Leopard skin and body parts are used in oriental medicine
Infrastructure development
The risk of wildfires in the leopard’s habitat has increased due to deforestation and mining. The roads built during deforestation make the animal’s habitat even more accessible to humans