The Amur leopard is one of the most critically endangered big cats in the world. There are only 35 remaining in the wild. This leopard is well adapted to living in harsh cold weather, opposed to other leopards who live in a jungle or desert atmosphere. They are carnivores that are predominately active during the night, as they often hunt for their meals at night. Like many other big cats, they are skilful hunters who stalk their prey. They are environmentally important because they hunt certain species that may overpopulate the area.
The Amur leopard is on the brink of extinction because of its many threats. They are being hunted for their beautiful spotted fur; often seen on clothing items and decorations, such as rugs. Their bones are also used in traditional Chinese medicine, which is questionable because there are statements saying that there are no medicinal values whatsoever. Since they hunt for prey, like deer and hare, it puts them in competition with villagers who hunt the same animals. This results in the leopard having to hunt for a farmer's stock of animals. This causes problems because most farmers will protect their animals, and if they caught an Amur leopard in the middle of the act, it will most likely be killed. Wildfires also play a role for their endangerment because of the annual wildfires in the region.
The World Wildlife Federation is currently working with local communities and government and non-government authorities to save the Amur Leopard. Since the population of the leopard is so scarce, the WWF is supporting anti-poaching work with regions like the Russian Far East, northern China, and non-governmental organizations such as the Tigris Foundation
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