Amur Leopard
Status: Critically Endangered
Population: ~60
Location: Russia
Habitat: Temperate, Broadleaf and Mixed Forests
Amur Leopards are considered one of the most endangered species on Earth. These leopards once lived in Asia and Africa but have now been pushed into the far east border of Russia and can occasionally be spotted in China near the border. Currently there are only around 50 recorded in the wild, and 500 in captivity. The good news is that as a result of conservation efforts in Russia, the numbers have begun to climb and there have been more sightings in North Korea and China where they have not been seen in decades. According to WWF Russia, there has been a 50% increase in population within the past 5 years. Although this is good news, the population is still severely low. Unfortunately, due to factors such as poaching, habitat loss, and climate change, as well as an increased population of competing Amur Tigers in the same area, the outlook for the population of Amur Leopards is still unsure.
Population: ~60
Location: Russia
Habitat: Temperate, Broadleaf and Mixed Forests
Amur Leopards are considered one of the most endangered species on Earth. These leopards once lived in Asia and Africa but have now been pushed into the far east border of Russia and can occasionally be spotted in China near the border. Currently there are only around 50 recorded in the wild, and 500 in captivity. The good news is that as a result of conservation efforts in Russia, the numbers have begun to climb and there have been more sightings in North Korea and China where they have not been seen in decades. According to WWF Russia, there has been a 50% increase in population within the past 5 years. Although this is good news, the population is still severely low. Unfortunately, due to factors such as poaching, habitat loss, and climate change, as well as an increased population of competing Amur Tigers in the same area, the outlook for the population of Amur Leopards is still unsure.
Facts
Fun Facts provided by the Franklin Park Zoo in Boston, MA
See more at: http://www.zoonewengland.org/franklin-park-zoo/our-animals/mammals/big-cats/amur-leopard#sthash.mOb5cyj1.dpuf
- Leopards will hide their food in trees to keep lions, hyenas and wild dogs from eating it.
- Adult males generally weigh between 70 to 106 pounds, but exceptionally large males can weigh up to 165 pounds. Males can measure up to 10 feet in length, including their tail. Females typically weigh between 55 and 95 pounds.
- Amur leopards prey upon roe and sika deers, raccoon dogs, small wild boars, hares and badgers. They’re opportunistic eaters, meaning they’ll feast on a wide range of prey.
- Amur leopards are nocturnal and solitary predators, marking their territory with urine.
- They stalk prey, eat alone, and often hide their foods in trees for a later meal.
- Amur leopards are strong swimmers and climbers, and they can descend trees headfirst.
- They can run at a speed of 37 miles per hour for short periods and leap 20 feet horizontally and 10 feet vertically.
- Their main vocalization is a distinctive rasping call, very different from the growl of other predatory animals.
- Median Life Expectancy is 17.9 years.
- Amur leopards can see six times better than humans in low light.
- Cats have the most highly developed binocular vision of all carnivores; this 3-D vision allows them to gauge how close their prey i
See more at: http://www.zoonewengland.org/franklin-park-zoo/our-animals/mammals/big-cats/amur-leopard#sthash.mOb5cyj1.dpuf
Iberian Lynx
Status: Critically Endangered
Population: Between 84 and 143 adults
Location: Spain and Portugal
Habitat: Mediterranean Forests, Woodlands and Scrub
According to the WWF, the Iberian Lynx is another one of the most endangered large cat species, and it may become one of the first to become extinct in 2,000 years. In the early 19th century, it could commonly be found in Spain, Portugal and Southern France but has since declined, falling to dangerously low levels. In 2007 there were 100 recorded adults seen in the wild, but only 25 of them were breeding females. According to a report from the IUCN, those numbers are not enough to maintain the population in the long run, which puts them on the brink of extinction. The good news is that due to a combined effort from the Spanish national and regional administrations, different NGO's such as the WWF, and the European Union, the total population is slowly showing signs of increase. In 2009 there were 230 Lynxes, and 7 adults were added to the area of Guadalmellato which is the third Lynx territory.
Facts
Facts provided by the World Wildlife Fund (WWF)
Population: Between 84 and 143 adults
Location: Spain and Portugal
Habitat: Mediterranean Forests, Woodlands and Scrub
According to the WWF, the Iberian Lynx is another one of the most endangered large cat species, and it may become one of the first to become extinct in 2,000 years. In the early 19th century, it could commonly be found in Spain, Portugal and Southern France but has since declined, falling to dangerously low levels. In 2007 there were 100 recorded adults seen in the wild, but only 25 of them were breeding females. According to a report from the IUCN, those numbers are not enough to maintain the population in the long run, which puts them on the brink of extinction. The good news is that due to a combined effort from the Spanish national and regional administrations, different NGO's such as the WWF, and the European Union, the total population is slowly showing signs of increase. In 2009 there were 230 Lynxes, and 7 adults were added to the area of Guadalmellato which is the third Lynx territory.
Facts
Facts provided by the World Wildlife Fund (WWF)
- A mother may carry its cubs between up to 12 homes, to avoid predators.
- Adult lynx live in territories of up to 20 km², which they scent-mark and defend from each other, although male and female territories may overlap.
- The Iberian lynx is heavily spotted and weighs about half as much as the Eurasian species, with long legs and a very short tail with a black tip.
- Female lynxes generally give birth between March and April. The average litter size is 3, with rarely more than 2 young surviving weaning. Kittens leave the den between 8 and 23 months. Very high rates of mortality during dispersal have been detected.
- The Iberian lynx mostly depends on wild rabbits to feed, but it will also eat ducks, young deer and partridges if rabbit densities are low. While an adult lynx needs about one rabbit a day, a mother raising her young needs to catch about 3.
Asiatic Cheetah
Status: Critically Endangered
Population: Between 70-110 individuals
Location: Iran
Habitat: Open lands, small plains, semi-desert areas, and other open habitats where prey is available
According to the International Society for Endangered Cats, Asiatic or Iranian Cheetahs once ranged over the grasslands of India, Pakistan, Russia, Iran and the Middle East. Since then, there have only been sightings in Iran, where the last of the known population lives. There have actually been no sightings in Afghanistan since the 1950's. Factors such as excessive hunting, habitat destruction and scarcity of prey have taken a serious toll on the population. Iran's Dept of the Environment partnered with Panthera and other Wildlife conservation groups including the UN to create a program to help preserve what was left of the cheetahs that have become an important symbol of their natural and cultural heritage.
Facts
Facts provided by "Species Spotlight: Asiatic Cheetah" written by R. Elizabeth C. Kitchen
Population: Between 70-110 individuals
Location: Iran
Habitat: Open lands, small plains, semi-desert areas, and other open habitats where prey is available
According to the International Society for Endangered Cats, Asiatic or Iranian Cheetahs once ranged over the grasslands of India, Pakistan, Russia, Iran and the Middle East. Since then, there have only been sightings in Iran, where the last of the known population lives. There have actually been no sightings in Afghanistan since the 1950's. Factors such as excessive hunting, habitat destruction and scarcity of prey have taken a serious toll on the population. Iran's Dept of the Environment partnered with Panthera and other Wildlife conservation groups including the UN to create a program to help preserve what was left of the cheetahs that have become an important symbol of their natural and cultural heritage.
Facts
Facts provided by "Species Spotlight: Asiatic Cheetah" written by R. Elizabeth C. Kitchen
- Asiatic Cheetahs grow to approximately 44 to 53 inches in length (head to body) as adults. Their tails range from 26 to 33 inches as adults. As adults, their height can reach 32 inches and they can weigh 86 to 143 pounds. Asiatic cheetahs tend to be slender and have long legs. Their claws are semi-retractable and blunt.
- Very little is known about the reproductive habits of these cats. It is believed that the Asiatic cheetah tends to breed during the mid-winter months. Females are thought to have one to four cubs at a time, but average two cubs at a time. It is believed that cubs reach independence at about eighteen months old. It is estimated that approximately 50 to 75 percent of cubs do not live longer than three months.
- These cats have been spotted hunting during the day, but they sometimes also hunt at night. They tend to hunt more often during the day because hunting at night means they might come into a conflict with other bigger predators such as leopards and lions. These big cats tend to prey on oryx, gazelles, kudu, impala, young warthogs, game birds, rabbits and hartebeest.
South China Tiger
Status: Critically Endangered
Population: Believed to be extinct in the wild Location: Southeast China Habitat: Hainan Moist Forests According to the WWF, in 1950 there were an estimated number of 4,000 in the wild. In the next decades, the Tigers were hunted by the Chinese government due to the fact that they were seen as a nuisance. The hunting ban was not put in place until 1979, and even despite this ban, there were only between 30-80 in the wild in 1996. Today the South China tiger is considered by scientists to be “functionally extinct,” as it has not been sighted in the wild for more than 25 years.If any South China tigers remain in the wild, these few individuals would be found in montane sub-tropical evergreen forest of southeast China, close to provincial borders. The habitat is highly fragmented, with most blocks smaller than 200 square miles and not large enough to sustain a tiger population. |
Small Cat Species
These cats are not your average housecat! The 5 cats below are some of the smaller species that are also threatened due to a variety of man-made and natural factors.