The Amur Leopard of the Russian Far East Temperate Forests, Research Paper Example

The Russian Far East Temperate Forests are spread over an area of 210, 000 sq km encompassing the southeastern Pacific coast of Russia (WWF 1). Overexploitation of natural resources, deforestation, urbanization, mining and pollution are rapidly decreasing the pristine forests of the Russian Far East. While some species have adapted to the encroachment by humans into their territory, for a host of reasons, others have not. This essay examines the Amur leopard, an inhabitant of the Russian Far East Temperate forests facing an existential threat due to the consequences of human activity.

The Amur leopard belongs to the Phylum, Chordata; Class, Mammalia; Order, Carnivora; Family, Felidae; Genus, Panthera; Species, Panthera Pardus and Sub species Panthera Pardus Orientalis (Denver Zoo 1).Being a carnivore, the Amur leopard is relatively high on the food chain in the Russian Far East Temperate Forests, coming in second after the Amur tiger. Lynx and wolves come next in the carnivore pecking order in these temperate forests. What this implies is that any disturbance at lower levels of the food chain or population density of any of the carnivores affects the Amur leopard’s food supply (Prynn 112 -117).

The Amur leopard’s physical characteristics and attributes are important for understanding the challenges faced by the species. The leopard is a strong agile member of the big cats who is equally at home on ground or in trees. “Male Amur leopards weigh 32-48 kg, with exceptionally large males up to 60-75 kg. Females are smaller than the males at 25-43 kg” (ALTA 1). The Amur leopard’s camouflage, its spot pattern is unlike any other leopard, with the rosette being thick and widely spaced (Brakefield and Shoemaker 83). This camouflage pattern makes it easy for the Amur leopard to blend into the foliage which consists of a mix of snow, rocks and temperate vegetation. The pelt is a luxuriantly soft pale yellow that is thicker than normal leopards. This help keep the animal warm during the harsh Russian winters. During summers, the fur reduces and becomes reddish in color. Its long legs are perfectly adapted for walking and running through deep snow to chase its quarry Brakefield and Shoemaker 83).

The Roe, Elk, Sika deer, hares and badgers are the staple diet of the Amur leopard. Those same animals also form the staple diet for other predators of the Russian Far East Temperate forests, namely, the Amur Tiger and wolves. Amur leopards are solitary hunters who stalk their prey at night. They never hunt in groups and avoid infringing on the territories of other big cats (MSN Encarta Premium 2009).

Since Amur leopards are essentially solitary animals, they only get together during the mating season (Prynn 117). Because of its solitary nature and sedentary habits, the genetic diversity of the species is low (Reilly 156). This leads to a greater probability of genetic diseases due to inbreeding and thereby results in lesser numbers of fit progeny to carry on the lineage. While very little is known about the Amur leopard’s mating cycles in the wild, they do show a preference for seasonal breeding while in captivity with spring and early summer being the preferred seasons for mating. Even if three to four cubs are born, the average litter size is about two, which brings the mortality rate to about 50% (MSN Encarta Premium 2009).  The cubs stay with their mothers for two years before striking out on their own. The known lifespan of Amur leopard’s in the wild is about 10 to 15 years while those in captivity have survived for 20 years. Females attain breeding maturity by the time they turn three or four years old. The sedentary behavior and lack of genetic diversity (Reilly 156 is one of the threats to the Amur leopard’s existence. However, humans have proven to be the greatest threat to the possible extinction of the species (Prynn 117).

Any natural ecosystem maintains a fragile balance that works as long as there is no external overload.  In the case of the Russian Far East Temperate Forests, this overload has been surpassed due to sustained exploitation over a long period of time. Human activity has affected the leopard’s food supply in the worst way. Extensive logging in the forests inhibits the production of mast (Brakefield and Shoemaker 83), a staple food for herbivorous animals that results in lower herbivore populations. Since the Russian Far East Temperate forests are home to other predators, the Amur leopard has to compete for dwindling food affecting their ability to sustain a stable population level. Added to the lack of foraging staple is the fact that the Sika deer has been a favorite food item of humans. Indiscriminate hunting by humans has significantly decreased the Sika deer population in the wild. Since wild Sika deer became scarce, the Amur leopards were forced to hunt for food amongst the deer farms. This invited retaliation by the farmers who killed the Amur leopards, considering them vermin and pests (Prynn 117).

In addition to logging, the effects of developmental projects such as mining and building oil and gas pipelines in the Russian Far East have been devastating. These developmental projects introduced toxic material, chemicals and by-products into the environment which has had a detrimental effect on the flora and fauna. Consequently, the environmental overload infringes on the entire ecosystem reducing its regenerative capacity (Dudley, Gilmour and Jeanrenaud 5).

The building of the Trans Siberian railway in the 1890s was yet another event during which numerous Amur leopards were killed by the Russian and Chinese settlers who considered the skin and bones of the leopard to possess medicinal values (Prynn 117). Coupled with these are human beliefs and cultural practices that also impact the well being of the Amur leopard. The fur of the leopard is also highly valued by natives for its warmth. However, more disturbing has been the trend by the rich to pay exorbitant prices for the fur as a fashion statement. This has spurred a poaching frenzy that has continued unabated through the 20th century further reducing the population of the leopards. So great has been the combined effect of human activity, environmental degradation and the leopard’s own biological exclusive behavior  that at present there are less than 45 Amur leopard left in the wild and about 300 in captivity (ALTA 1).

Since 1956, the Amur leopard has been declared as a protected species (Prynn 117) in Russia. However, it is the Non-Government Agencies (NGOs) that have been more active and vocal in generating support for the preservation of the Amur leopard. The AMUR is an Anglo-Russian charity founded in 2001 to preserve Amur tigers and leopards. Amur Leopard and Tiger Alliance (ALTA) is an umbrella organization that coordinates the work of AMUR, Wildlife Conservation Society, WildAid, Tigris foundation and other NGOs help spearhead the project to help save the Amur leopard (Prynn 169). The WWF has also contributed significant funds for the preservation of Amur leopards. NGOs stimulate global public opinion, raise funds and influence governments to take remedial measures to preserve the species. The NGOs also use modern technical equipment to monitor the survivability of leopards in the wild. Efforts to enforce stronger anti-poaching legislations have met with limited results. However, it is breeding in captivity, which has seen the greatest success with over 300 leopards surviving in the zoos, wild life sanctuaries and reserves across the world (ALTA 1).

In conclusion, it can be reiterated that rampant human activity, disregard for nature, and exclusive biological behavior have had a cumulative effect in reducing the populations of the Amur leopard to below regenerative levels. While governmental agencies have been slow to act despite official proclamations, intervention of NGOs has been at the forefront for the preservation of the Amur leopard. Their most successful measures have been the captive breeding program that has raised the number to 300. Still, this may not be enough to save these incredibly beautiful animals from extinction.

Works Cited

ALTA. ALTA Amur Leopard Conservation. 2009. 7 November 2009 <http://www.amur-leopard.org/index.php?pg=wild>.

Brakefield, Tom and Alan Shoemaker. Big Cats: Kingdom of Might. Osceola, WI: Voyageur Press, 1997.

Denver Zoo. “Amur Leopard Panthear Pardus Orientalis.” 2006. Denver Zoo website. 6 November 2009 <http://www.denverzoo.org/downlaods/dzoo_amur_leopard.pdf>.

Dudley, Nigel, Don Gilmour and Jean-Paul Jeanrenaud. “Boreal Forests: Policy Challenges for the Future.” January 1998. IUCN website. 6 November 2009 <http://cmsdata.iucn.org/downloads/avspecial_boreal.pdf>.

MSN Encarta Premium 2009. Amur Leopard. Redmond, 2008.

Prynn, David. Amur Tiger. Edinburgh, UK: Russian Nature Press, 2004.

Reilly, Philip. The Strongest Boy in the World: How Genetic Information is Reshaping Our Lives. NY: CSHL Press, 2006.

WWF. Russian Far East Temperate Forests. 2009. 6 November 2009 <http://www.panda.org/about_our_earth/ecoregions/russian_fareast_temperate_forests.cfm>.