Amur Leopard by danob
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Description
The Amur leopard (Panthera pardus orientalis) is the northernmost of the eight leopard subspecies. The Amur leopard's range is overlapping with that of the Amur tiger or Siberian Tiger which range extends further to the north.
The Amur leopard's historic range extended throughout northeastern ("Manchurian") China, the southern part of Primorsky Krai in Russia and the Korean Peninsula. This range shrank dramatically during the 20th century, due primarily to habitat loss and hunting.
Today, it is critically endangered with only 27 to 34 individuals remaining in Southwest Primorye. There are probably up to 10 animals scattered throughout the Chinese Jilin and Heilongjiang Provinces, with the majority of animals concentrated near the Russian border.
The Amur leopard probably went extinct in the wild in South Korea in the late 1960s, although some recent, unconfirmed reports suggest that a few leopards may remain in and around the demilitarized zone between North and South Korea.
There are likely still leopards in the rugged northern region of North Korea near the Chinese border, and it is also likely that animals from Southwest Primorye in Russia occasionally cross the border into North Korea, but reliable information is lacking.
There are approximately 300 Amur leopards in captivity, mostly in zoos in Europe, North America and countries of the former Soviet Union. Most, but not all, of these leopards are in zoos participating in managed conservation breeding programmes.
Comments (55)
flora-crassella
wonderful !!!!!
artaddict2
A beautiful shot of a beautiful animal!
Alz2008
Beautiful capture and Animal, excellent well done..
fredster66
Beautiful.
virginiese
beautiful cat ! :-) Great shot. Nice portrait of this noble animal. Love the POV
JeffG7BRJ
Lets hope the breeding programs are a success and that we can start releasing some back into the wild. We should not have to incarcerate wild animals just to stop them from becoming extinct. Thats when wild animals cease to be wild animals. Homo sapiens has a lot to answer for, but they will never be brought to account for it. A superb capture of this beautiful but dangerous beast Danny, plus very interesting information. Bravo!!!!!
kansas
Oh my. So beautiful. Thanks for the info.
gunsan
Beautiful meditative and a little sad shot
RobyHermida
Excellent shot
bentchick
Beautiful animal!!! Wonderful capture, excellent DOF!!!
kenwas
Such a beautiful creature and so well displayed!
sintoock
Beautiful again!
Cosme..D..Churruca
awesome Danny!
lucindawind
just gorgeous!
CavalierLady
Beautiful image of this most endangered species!
carlx
Wonderful portrait!!!
MrsLubner
Is this a smaller leopard? It seems more delicate with a heavier neck and chest or perhaps that is just from this angle. I find the gaze away from the lens a great way to see this cat. Stunning shot and fabulous information.
vlaaitje
wonderful animal, I love them you know...lovely pose
tennesseecowgirl
What a beauty! Love your presentation!
jeroni
Excellent shot,my friend,a beautiful work
GBCalls
Very nice!
Iceshark39
Absolutely beautiful shot and a magnificent creature!
babuci
Great capture of this fine feline.
magnus073
An amazing Capture Danny, really a wonderful scene
monjo71
wonderful capture Dan. Great work. John
jocko500
a lovely shot this is . cool looking
Ionel
A great capture of a beautiful animal! Interesting information too!!!
West_coaster07
Outstanding capture!!
dragonmuse
Excellent. Can almost feel the fur.. not that I would try such a silly thing ;)
bpclarke
Gorgeous capture. Such a magnificent creature. Bunny