AMUR LEOPARD RANGE HAS EXPANDED THREE-FOLD IN JUST OVER 20 YEARS
The rarest big cat on the globe is likely the Amur leopard.
At the turn of the century, when it was estimated that just 30 of these recognisable predators remained in the wild, they were forced to the verge of extinction.
This meagre population had its stronghold in the Russian Far East.
Amur leopards were mercilessly hunted for their beautiful coats and bones for use in traditional medicine,
Climate change threatens their habitats which have also been gradually destroyed by unsustainable logging, forest fires
Thankfully, their desperate plight has been halted.
Though still only around 100 of the animals are thought to exist in the wild today and the species remain classed as critically endangered.