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Amur leopard still on the brink of extinction11/05/2006 00:00:00![news/amur-leopard2[1]](/resources/listimg/news/amur-leopard2[1]@body.JPG)
Amur leopard census results
‘The recent census confirmed once again that the Far Eastern leopard (Panthera pardus orientalis) survives on a very shaky edge,’ said Pavel Fomenko, biodiversity conservation programme coordinator at the Far-Eastern branch of WWF-Russia. Mr Fomenko said encroaching civilization, new roads, poaching, exploitation of forests, and climate change had contributed to the leopards' plight. ‘From my perspective,’ he said, ‘the leopards' exact number is not the main question. What is really important is that the predator is on the brink of extinction. And yet still a unified protected area with national park status has not been established, which is the most important thing for the leopards' survival.’ Recent reports about a large increase in Amur tiger numbers are 2 years out of date, read more. Encouragingly, at least four leopard litters were encountered during the census. This is a good sign because it means that the population is not completely depressed and is still able to restore itself. But for long-term survival, at least 100 animals are needed. ‘Conservation of large predators requires vast territories’ said Dr Dmitry Pikunov, the coordinator of the 2007 leopard census and head of the laboratory of animal ecology and conservation of the Pacific Institute of Geography of the Russian Academy of Science. According to Dr Pikunov, a mature male leopard needs 500 square kilometres of habitat with good forests and high and stable amounts of ungulates, including deer. Two to four female leopards would live in the same amount of land, reproduce and nourish their cubs. ‘Maybe this is the reason why leopards practically completely disappeared from the Korean Peninsula and north-east China,’ said Dr Pikunov. ‘At the beginning of the past century, the Far Eastern leopard was a common species in the southern parts of Sikhote-Alin and in some Khanka lake areas. Right now it roams only in south-west Primorye.’ About 5000 square kilometres of land in the south-west Primorye region, close to the border between Russia, China and North Korea, were transected for the census and tracks left by the leopards in the snow were counted. Scientists were able to determine the number of the leopards by examining the shape, size and patterns of the tracks as well as determine the direction and time of the animals' movement. In all, 35 field workers took part in the census, working in more than 158 transected sections. ‘The snow track census is an important method to monitor leopard numbers. We see that its population has been balancing on the edge of survival for many years,’ said Dr Dale Miquelle, director of the Wildlife Conservation Society's Russia programme and coordinator of the previous census in 2005. ‘But to understand the reasons, we should research the ecology of the predator in a more profound way, using latest techniques such as automatic camera traps, radio-tracking, genetic and veterinary research.’
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