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Feeling very sorry for himself, this leopard was recovering from having had porcupine quills in his face after catching a porcupine the night before.
Amur leopards (Panthera pardus orientalis) are one of the most endangered cats in the world. They are one of the sub-species of leopards, and show more divergence of coat pattern than any other leopard sub-species. Due to the harsh environment in which they live, Amur leopards have a thick, dense coat to keep out the cold. In the summer their coat is darker and thinner, growing lighter and longer for the winter.
Leopards live and hunt alone, and are mostly active at night. They hunt by stalking, waiting until they are a few meters away before attacking their prey. Their diet consists of badgers, hares, musk deer, rodents, roe deer and sika deer. Once they have caught a meal they will not eat it all at once but will store it up in a tree for later.
After a gestation period of approximately three and a half months the adult females gives birth to between one to six cubs. Once the cubs are two weeks old, their eyes are open. At three months they begin to eat solids and at two years old they leave their mother to find their own territory. The lifespan of the Amur leopard is approximately twenty years.
The range of this species used to cover areas of China, Russia, and the Korean peninsula. However, their numbers have shrunk dramatically, and this cat is no longer found in China or Korea. In Russia as few as 14-20 adults were estimated to survive in 2007.
This dramatic decline is mainly due to poaching of both leopards and their prey animals, habitat destruction due to human activity, and inbreeding. As the population of these big cats dwindles, genetic diversity also dwindles, weakening the species. The Amur leopard was found to have the lowest levels of genetic variation of any leopard subspecies.
Amur leopards have been listed by the IUCN as critically endangered, meaning that the species is facing an extremely high risk of extinction in the wild.
This Persian Leopard occupies an enclosure right next to the new Snow Leopard family.
This is also an absolutely beautiful cat - even with only one eye.
Just as with the snow leopards it was extremely difficult in capturing clean images.
Please don't look too closely at the pixels! The viewing conditions were extremely harsh - blinding sunshine, close-checked heavy cage wire, fierce back-lighting, heavy tree cover all made for incredibly difficult capture.
And I am very much still learning the appropriate settings on my new Olympus E520 DLSR.
Royal Melbourne Zoo, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
Sri Lankan Leopard / Leopardo de Sri Lanka.
EF 75-300mm f/4-5.6 II
Uploaded in 1080x720 but available in 4752x3168.
Subido en 1080x720 pero disponible en 4752x3168.
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Portrait/Retrato : Leopard 1
Amur Leopard (Panthera pardus orientalis). Silent, sleek, and strong, Amur leopards are deadly hunters of deep forests. They roam large areas in search of prey. Their long, thick coat and long legs help them survive the cold and deep snow of eastern Asia. Not long ago, Amur leopards lived over a wide area of northern China, the Koreas, and a small part of Russia's Far East. Expanding human populations have reduced the wilderness and isolated the leopard. With deer populations declining and habitat being disrupted, these magnificent animals teeter on the brink of extinction. Fewer than 50 individuals live in the wild. But hope remains: recent public campaigns have saved their last refuge, and some old habitat may be restored.
Marwell:
(www.marwell.org.uk/zoo/explore/animals/5/amur-leopard)
Amur leopard (Panthera pardus orientalis)
What do I eat?
Amur leopards are carnivores and will hunt many different animals including roe deer, sika deer, wild boar, hares, badgers and raccoon dogs.
Amur leopards are mostly active at night (nocturnal); this is the time that these animals will normally hunt.
Where do I live?
These animals are found in far eastern Russia, in mountainous areas and within temperate forests with pine, black fir and broad leafed trees. This habitat is known to have very harsh winters with deep snow and temperatures reaching -40oC; and in contrast it also has very hot summers.
Breeding
Amur leopards are able to mate from 3-4 years old, and can breed throughout the year. Females will give birth to up to 4 cubs within a den, and they are born blind and helpless. The cubs will open their eyes after 10 days and will follow their mother out of the den from 6-8 weeks old; they will continue to feed from their mother until around 3 months old. The cubs are fully independent when they are between 18-24 months old and would have left their mother by this age.
Predators
Amur leopards are one of the top predators within their habitat. However they face competition for food from other Amur leopards and Amur tigers that share the same habitat.
Conservation
The Amur leopard is considered to be one of the most critically endangered big cats in the world, with roughly 30-40 individuals remaining in the wild. Habitat loss and hunting (for trophies and use in traditional medicines) are the biggest threats to Amur leopards in the wild.
The Amur leopard has been a protected species in Russia since 1956, but poaching is still a problem. Conservation efforts in the wild for these animals include anti-poaching patrols, customs control, fighting forest fires, environmental education programmes and working closely with local communities.
Portrait of an Amur Leopard taken by Chris Boulton Photography (www.christopherboulton.com) at Marwell Zoo
This is Xizi, a female Amur Leopard.
This is the rarest cat sub-species in the world. There are estimated to be 12 female Amur Leopards left in the wild.
www.bbc.co.uk/nature/animals/planetearth/hd/
More photos at: www.myphotostream.co.uk
On the plains of Serengeti, Tanzania, this leopard was hunting right before my lens.
Canon 50D
70-200mm f/4L IS
Converted to B&W in PS4
© Copyright by www.MunkPhotography.com
We were extremely fortunate to see this leopard twice in 2 different locations on the same day. Once in the morning, and once in the evening.