Amur Leopard
Top 6 in Top 10 Rarest Animals In The World
One of the rarest and most endangered in the world is the Amur Leopard. It is estimated that this animal is less than 100 individuals (about 84 to be more exact) left in the wild. Amur Leopards mostly reside in the Amur River basin of eastern Russia with a few scattered in the northern part of China.
Amur Leopards have relatively long lifespans, living for about 10 to 15 years in the wild and 20+ years in captivity. Like all the animals on this list, the Amur Leopard population faces many threats, including habitat destruction, illegal poaching, conflicts with humans, and a lack of genetic variation. Since there are so few Amur Leopards left, there is a lot of inbreeding, which results in weaker offspring. The rosettes or spots on Amur Leopards are larger, more widely spaced, and have thicker black borders than those found on the other species of leopards.
The Amur leopard is a leopard subspecies native to the Primorye region of southeastern Russia and northern China. It is listed as Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List as in 2007 when only 19–26 wild leopards were estimated to survive in southeastern Russia and northeastern China. In 2021, The Amur leopard was reported the population was about 110 individuals.
Location: Primorye region of southeastern Russia and northern China
Estimated Number of Mature Individuals: less than 100 in the wild; about 170 to 180 in captivity
Current Conservation Status: Critically Endangered
Scientific Name: Panthera pardus orientalis
