Posted on 27 April 2012
- Changchun, China - Northeast China’s Jilin
Province Department of Forestry says the
endangered Amur leopard population has almost
doubled in the province, and now numbers
between 8 and 11 individuals according to
findings from a new survey.
The results from the first-ever study to
exclusively examine Amur leopards shows
that traces of the rare big cats are now
being found over a much larger area in and
outside of northeast China’s Hunchun and
Wangqing Nature Reserves, covering about
4100km2, an area similar in size to French
Polynesia.
“The Amur leopard is
critically endangered, and this research
into population monitoring, habitat restoration
and population migration characteristics
is urgent for the survival of the species,”
said the head of WWF-China’s Northeast Programme
Office, Dr Zhu Jiang.
The Amur leopard is
incredibly rare in the wild, and the species
is the most endangered feline in the world,
surpassing even the Amur tiger in rarity.
Less than 50 now live in north eastern China
and the Russian Far East.
Survey brings clarity
Compared to data from a 1998-1999 survey
on tigers - which also picked up traces
of Amur leopards - the new study found evidence
that the leopard’s distribution area in
China expanded further to the northwest
of Jilin province and towards the Sino-Russian
border in the east. This represents an area
3-4 times bigger than previous findings,
and a leopard population that’s 1.8 times
larger. ?
“The results of this new survey show even
more clearly that the Hunchun-Wangqing habitat
is an important one for the Amur leopard,
and that the nearby Changbai Mountain leopard
population is essential to support the continued
survival of the Russian Far East population
group. The two areas are indispensible to
the recovery of the global Amur leopard
population, and are the greatest hope for
expanding both the population and the habitat
of the species,” said Dr. Zhu Jiang.
First known survey on
China’s wild Amur leopard population
This is the first time China has conducted
a survey that exclusively focuses on Amur
leopard population numbers, habitat location
and habitat size in Jilin Province. The
next stage, says Jilin Forestry Department’s
Senior Engineer and Tiger-Leopard Programme
Officer Jiang Jinsong, will cover a larger
area, using infrared camera traps and DNA
monitoring technology.
“Based on the results
of this survey, the first trial areas will
be the Hunchun and Wangqing reserves, where
constant collection of information on individuals
as well as monitoring of activity patterns
among the general population will serve
to build up a core of information on the
settled Amur leopard and Siberian tiger
populations,” said Jiang Jinsong.
WWF’s role
WWF will continue to work with the Jilin
Forestry Department, Hunchun Nature Reserve
and Wangqing Forestry Bureau to continue
monitoring population trends, assess habitat
quality and the restoration of prey species.
WWF will also maintain its contributions
to the development of monitoring technology
and anti-poaching management to help restore
the Amur leopard population in China.
