Rare Amur leopard photographed in northern China for the first time
A rare Amur leopard was photographed at the Hunchun Amur Tiger National Nature Reserve in northern China.
Amur leopard photos were released today by the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) – a rare glimpse at a critically endangered cat that lives on the Russian-Chinese border.
The photos were taken at the Amur Tiger National Nature Reserve in Jilin Province in northern China.
Between 30 and 40 of the leopards remain in the wild.
According to UPI, most of the world's remaining Amur leopards live across the border in Russia where similar camera traps in the wild have snapped 29 leopards last winter in a park dedicated to conserving the animal.
The Amur leopard is native to the southwestern Primorye region of Russia, and has been classified as critically endangered since 1996 by the International Union for Conservation of Nature, an organization that tracks endangered animals.
It is estimated that between 8 and 11 leopards live in the Chinese province.
Last month the reserve set-up 16 outdoor cameras donated by the Wildlife Conservation Society to track and conserve the leopards and tigers in the area, reported e! Science News.
The pictures suggest that the population of the animal may be increasing in the region.