Curious Cat Science and Engineering Blog » Far Eastern Leopard

November 19, 2006

Far Eastern Leopard - Rarest Big Cat

The team, led by biologists from the New York-based Wildlife Conservation Society, caught the 100-pound (45-kilogram) male in a snare last week while studying Siberian tigers in the Russian Far East, 20 miles (32 kilometers) from the Chinese border.

The chance capture gave biologists a priceless opportunity to study the elusive feline, and Melody Roelke (below), a specialist in big-cat genetics with the U.S. National Institutes of Health, wasn’t shy about getting a closer look.
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Among the scientists’ main concerns is whether Far Eastern leopards, also known as Amur leopards, can continue to sustain their tiny, isolated population, or whether disease and inbreeding may eventually wipe out the cats.

by curiouscat Tags: Cats, Life Science, Students
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2 Responses to “Far Eastern Leopard - Rarest Big Cat”

Curious Cat Science and Engineering Blog » Big Big Lions Says:
December 14th, 2006 at 8:55 am
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Curious Cat Science and Engineering Blog » Bornean Clouded Leopard Says:
March 16th, 2007 at 11:42 am
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