Any Hope for Them Now?
The Panthera pardus orientalis, otherwise known as, Far East leopard, Manchurian leopard, and the Korean leopard. The east Asian beauty better known as, the Amur leopard, has been considered critically endangered since 1996, with just a bit more than 40 individuals left in the wild, today. But every minute, the species is disappearing, little by little.
The beautiful species of leopard is spread out among southeast Asia, in countries such as, Russia, Korea, and Mongolia, in mild, broadleaf, and forest habitats. Besides mating, most Amur leopards live alone, but in special cases, the male stays with the female after mating.
WWF states, "The Amur leopard is important ecologically, economically, and culturally.". Saving the species will also conserve the lives of many other fauna in these habitats, like Amur tigers and prey species. WWF also states, "With the right conservation efforts, we can bring them back and ensure long term conservation of the region." (Of which, I COMPLETELY agree.).
Habitat loss is one of the very many reasons Amur leopards population has been getting low. The WWF says, between 1970-1983, Amur leopards lost an abominable amount of 80%, from deforestation, forest fires, and the making of space for agricultural purposes. But that's not all. They are also disappearing through both poaching and illegal trade. In 1999, an investigation team, made an acquisition of two leopard skins. One sold for $500, and the other for $1000. But, like I said, these are only a couple of reason why they are fading from the face of earth.
The answer to the question is, well, YES! There is hope for the Amur leopards! But all of that hope, and help, comes from us! So what's the reason to just give up on them? Give that some thought. Anyway, that's all I have for you today.
Thanks,
Animal Savers
