Happy almost Spring Break, RCL-ers!

This week I’d like to tell y’all about the Amur leopard!

The Amur leopard is the epitome of athleticism. This lean, well-muscled, stealthy cat can run up to 37 miles per hour, pounce up to 19 feet in front of it, and leap up to 10 feet in the air. Talk about your track and field superstar! Along with its superior athletic abilities, the Amur leopard is light on its feet, very nimble, lean, and strong. Unlike most other leopard subspecies, this guy does not frolic on the African savanna. Rather, this type of leopard is found deep inside the forests of the Russian Far East. They can weigh anywhere between 70 and 110 pounds and grow to be about 3 feet tall at the shoulder; females are generally smaller and lighter, though. Their coats are paler and thicker than most other leopards in order to camouflage and protect themselves better in the harsh Russian winters. Their “spots” are also broader and more spaced-out than that of other leopards. Their tongues contain special ridges and spikes to help scrape the meat off of their prey.

This leopard is a very solitary animal, not unlike the rest of the cat family. It will usually hide its prey once captured in order to prevent any other animal from stealing it. However, the male Amur leopard is also known for being a dedicated, loving, and helpful father and partner, usually staying with its mate for a long time and assisting with raising the young (relationship goals?). The males will often even fight over a female leopard if it gets to that point. They begin breeding at about 3 or 4 years old, giving live birth to a litter of 1-4 cubs after carrying the young for about 12 weeks. The cubs will usually hang around with mom (and dad!) for roughly 2 years before starting their own independent lives. Though not really seen in the wild, the Amur leopards in captivity display more of a breeding pattern than those of the wild variety, usually breeding in the Spring or Summer. In the wild, these leopards like anywhere between 10 and 15 years; in captivity, they average around a 20 year lifespan.

Though listed as critically endangered by the WWF, this animal’s population has doubled in the past 7 years–however, that still only means about 60 wild Amur leopards are present in Russia’s “Land of the Leopard” National Park. Their coats are highly sought after, not to mention their wild forest habitat is rapidly dwindling down. Many organizations are desperately trying to proliferate this subspecies, implementing many regulations of their habitat in order to keep them alive and kicking. There are also an increase in Amur leopards in captivity recently in order to help maintain the species.