Amur Leopard

Status: Critically Endangered

Population: 84 individuals 

Habitat: Temperate, broadleaf, and mixed forest

Weight: 70-150 pounds

Amur leopards are critically endangered because of illegal wildlife trade. The Amur leopard is poached wildly for their spotted fur. In 1999, an undercover investigation team recovered a female and a male Amur leopard skin, which were being sold for $500 and $1,000 respectively in the village of Barabash, not far from the Kedrovaya Pad reserve in Russia.

With such a small population left, the loss of each Amur leopard puts the species at greater risk of extinction. WWF supports anti poaching work in all Amur leopard habitat in the Russian Far East and in known leopard localities in northeast China. WWF implements programs to stop the illegal trade in Amur leopard parts. Together with TRAFFIC, the world’s largest wildlife trade monitoring network, we help governments enforce domestic and international trade restrictions on Amur leopard products. Amur leopards are listed on CITES Appendix I, prohibiting all commercial trade in the species.

The Amur leopard is important ecologically, economically and culturally. Conservation of its habitat benefits other species, including Amur tigers and prey species like deer. With the right conservation efforts, we can bring them back and ensure long-term conservation of the region.