Why is the Amur leopard in serious danger of extinction and what is being done to promote the conservation of these wild cats? The Amur leopard, or Panthera pardus orientalis, is a leopard whose population was once dispersed across northern China, the Korean Peninsula, and southern areas of the Russian Far East. However, the leopard population is now confined to a small part of the southwestern territory of Primorskii Krai, Russia [see Figure 1]. The species now occupies five thousand square kilometers, approximately 80% less than its previous range [1]. These wild cats have adapted to the harsh climates in which they reside. They have a thick coat of fur, which can grow up to seven centimeters long in winter. In the summer months the coat size decreases to about 2.5 centimeters in length [3]. It is this coat that distinguishes Amur leopards from other species, as its fur consists of widely spaced rosettes with thick black edges [4] [see Figure 1]. They generally have longer legs than other leopard species; this is a structural adaptation that helps the leopard when walking in the snow. [4] Adult males weigh between 32 and 48 kilograms and females weigh between 25 and 43 kilograms. Leopards are solitary animals that prefer to hunt alone rather than in packs. Furthermore, they are nocturnal animals and their main food sources come from badgers, hares, musk deer, rodents, roe deer and red deer. [5]The problem: What caused the Amur leopard population to decline so rapidly? John Lewis, veterinary director of Wildlife Vets International and veterinary consultant to the European Amur leopard captive breeding programme, said: “The Amur leopard is facing a situation that a number of others may be facing big cats in the future, with populations becoming so low the... middle of paper... the sea. (20) Although success rates have slowly improved since the first reintroductions, with greater attention to habitat type, food availability, dispersal and predation risk, predation has been a major cause of reintroduction failure and although species naturally coexist with predators, temporarily excluding predators from release sites have been found to increase the likelihood of establishing populations. (20) It also allows you to test the natural instincts of predators while in captivity, for example by letting them hunt for food to give them realism, and hone these skills in such an environment so that they are more likely to survive when they emerge. (1) changes the camera trap method in Land of Leopards halfway through. get data for the studbook method and more information about where it takes place and how many leopards have introduced into the wild