| |
Photo courtesy of WCS, ISUNR, and Tigris Foundation
|
|
|
In winter 1998 there was for the first time an international
effort (including Chinese and Russian specialists and one American)
to determine the distribution and status of Far Eastern or Amur
leopards in Jilin Province, China. Overall, there are thought
to be 30–50 Amur leopards remaining in the wild. Exciting
news is the potential for a release project within its former
range if studies suggest that the habitat can support this and
another large felid, the Amur tiger. In 2001, 25 of the 30 holders
of Amur leopards including the Minnesota Zoo contributed a total
of $13,500 for a more intensive in situ censusing of Amur leopards
in the wild to determine current population numbers and the potential
for continued viability of the current wild population. In 2003,
this conservation program was awarded $2500 from theUlysses S. Seal Conservation Grant Program of the Minnesota Zoo to support their ongoing
efforts to protect the remaining Amur leopard wild population.
The good news is that it appears the population may be growing
slightly and reproduction is evident.
For more information, visit
the Tigris Foundation web site.
|