Amur leopards are endangered primarily due to several critical threats including poaching, habitat loss and degradation, prey depletion, disease, and low genetic diversity. Poaching targets them for their valuable spotted fur and bones used in traditional Asian medicine. Extensive habitat loss has resulted from logging, agriculture, forest fires, and infrastructure development, significantly shrinking their living space. This habitat degradation also leads to a scarcity of prey, forcing leopards into conflict with humans as they prey on livestock. Additionally, diseases like canine distemper virus pose a risk to their small, isolated populations. Low genetic diversity due to their tiny population size also threatens their survival by increasing risks of inbreeding depression. Concerted conservation efforts, including protected areas like Russia's Land of the Leopard National Park and population monitoring, have helped stabilize their numbers, but the species remains critically endangered with a continued risk of extinction without ongoing protection and management.

Key Threats to Amur Leopards

• Poaching: Illegal hunting for fur and bones, despite national and international protections.
• Habitat Loss: Logging, agriculture, forest fires, and infrastructure developments have destroyed much of their original habitat.
• Prey Scarcity: Declining prey populations due to hunting and habitat loss reduce food availability.
• Disease: Infectious diseases like canine distemper virus threaten population survival.
• Genetic Bottleneck: Small population size results in low genetic diversity, increasing vulnerability.

Conservation Efforts and Status

• Listed as Critically Endangered by the IUCN since 1996.
• Protected areas, such as the Land of the Leopard National Park in Russia, have been crucial for recovery.
• International collaboration and active population monitoring show population increases, but threats remain.
• Estimates suggest around 100-130 individuals remain in the wild, primarily in Russia and northeast China.

These factors combined explain why Amur leopards remain endangered despite recent recovery efforts.