On June 14, an infrared camera in the Chaoyanggou Forest Farm in Dongning City, Heilongjiang Province captured the "rare visitor" - a female Siberian leopard and her cub. This is the first time a Siberian leopard has been found in this area in recent years. Why did the endangered Amur leopard reappear? what does that mean?
The mysterious appearance of the Amur leopard
Judging from the official video footage, the first thing that appeared in front of the camera was a cub that looked only a few months old. It looked naive and very cute. This little leopard slowly walked to the camera, seemed to have discovered something, stared at the camera for a while and then left.
The little leopard captured by the camera
was followed by a female leopard. She did not stay too much in front of the camera, but followed the little leopard all the way, seemingly protecting it. Judging from the color of their coats and the way they walk, the two leopards are in good health and should be looking for food.
The appearance of the female leopard
, one large and one small, was a big surprise to the scientific researchers in the reserve. You know, with the reduction of forest area and environmental destruction, the number of Amur leopards has been declining. In 2015, there were less than 500 wild Amur leopards in the world; and the number in China was even smaller, with only forty or fifty. The reappearance of the Amur leopard now means that the staff's work over the years has finally paid off, and the population of the Amur leopard in the reserve is increasing. So, where are the Amur leopards mainly distributed, what are their living habits, and what is the current development of the population?
The most ferocious killer in the mountains and forests
There are three main types of leopards in our country, namely the Northeastern leopard, North China leopard and South China leopard. The Amur leopard used to be mainly distributed in most areas of Heilongjiang, but due to the destruction of the ecological environment, the Amur leopard's living range has been repeatedly reduced. It is currently mainly distributed in the border areas of China, Russia and North Korea.
As a large mammal, the adult Amur leopard can reach 1.0 to 1.5 meters in length and weigh about 50 kilograms. Leopards also have a resounding nickname: golden leopard . This is due to the circular spots of different sizes distributed on its body, and the Siberian leopard is no exception. But compared to other leopards, the "copper coins" on the Siberian leopard are rounder and larger in area.
Due to the higher latitude and cold climate in the area where it lives, the fur on the Siberian leopard is longer. In winter, it can reach about seven centimeters. It is like wearing a furry coat on the body, which can play a very good role. Warming effect. By summer, the fur on the Amur leopard's body is only about two centimeters, which is very thin.
The Siberian leopard is very withdrawn and often lives alone. It has no fixed residence. When the weather is hot during the day, the Amur leopard will hide in the grass or sleep in a cave, and wait until dusk before going out to hunt. Amur leopards have their own activity areas, which are usually marked with urine or feces. Of course, their fields also overlap. is on the edge of the field, and they will coexist with Siberian tiger and other beasts.
As a very lethal species as famous as the Siberian tiger, one can imagine how ferocious the Siberian leopard is. Its limbs are very strong, its muscles are very strong, and it is good at running and jumping. Whether it is on land, on mountains or in trees, it is an invincible strongman. The Amur leopard's food mainly includes sika deer , wild boar, Siberian roe deer, etc., and sometimes some small animals, such as hares. When the Amur leopard finds a target, it often rushes to the prey with lightning speed, presses the prey with its claws, and at the same time begins to bite with its sharp teeth, turning the prey into a bloody mess.
Because of this, when we hear tigers and leopards, our first reaction is fear. After all, if we encounter them in the wilderness, we will be absolutely suppressed. Why is
endangered?
So, why is the Amur leopard, which is so lethal, facing extinction?
Like the reasons for the extinction of most wild animals in modern times, the endangered Amur leopard is also inseparable from human activities. As the kings of the forest, Siberian tigers and Amur leopards are at the top of the food chain. They were once so numerous that they were found on almost every mountain. But perhaps even they themselves have not thought that the rapid development and progress of human society will bring about a sharp decrease in forest area and a large reduction in wild animals. And because a large forest is divided into many pieces, there are only a few Amur leopards here and there, making it difficult to find a suitable mate. Mating between and Amur leopards in nearby areas can easily lead to the recessive genetic disease of "inbreeding" and insufficient and gene diversity .
With no place to stay, no food, and no suitable mate, the Amur leopard is on the verge of extinction. From 1998 to 1999, Britain, the United States, and Russia jointly investigated the number of Siberian tigers and leopards. The survey results showed that at that time, there were only 12 to 16 Siberian tigers and 7 to 12 Siberian leopards in China. The results of this survey have once again sounded the alarm for us. Our country has begun to step up the construction of nature reserves and begin to implement natural protection projects.
The establishment of the Northeast Tiger and Leopard National Park
In fact, hunting has been completely banned in many areas of Northeast China since the 1990s, but it is obvious that a simple hunting ban cannot restore the ecological environment. We must Take the time to explore more effective methods.
Judging from the experience of countries around the world, the most effective way to quickly restore a population is to establish a nature reserve. On August 19, 2017, the Siberian Tiger and Leopard National Park Administration was established, and the protection of Siberian tigers and Amur leopards has entered a new stage.
We divide the scope of the national park according to the main habitats and potential distribution areas of Amur tigers and leopards, and try to avoid places with dense population and economic prosperity. The Northeast Tiger and Leopard National Park covers Heilongjiang and Jilin provinces, of which Heilongjiang accounts for about 30% and Jilin accounts for about 70%.
To protect Siberian tigers and leopards, the most important thing is to protect the forests where they live. Within the entire Siberian Tiger and Leopard National Park, the forest coverage rate has reached 93.32%, providing sufficient survival places for Siberian tigers and leopards.
In this way, the problems of insufficient living areas, insufficient food, and lack of mates will be solved, and the number of Siberian tigers and leopards will begin to slowly recover.
What does the reappearance of the Siberian leopard mean?
Since the establishment of the Siberian Tiger and Leopard National Park, Amur leopards have been photographed in more and more nature reserves. In recent months, seven wild Amur leopard activities have been captured in the reserve, and everyone was very surprised.
Northeast Tiger and Leopard National Park
The reappearance of the Northeast leopard means that the ecological environment in the reserve has undergone qualitative changes, and a balanced ecosystem is slowly being built. It also means that we are relying on our own efforts to achieve harmonious coexistence with nature.
Conclusion
The reappearance of the Amur leopard has brought us a huge surprise, and also allowed us to taste the "sweetness" of protecting the ecological environment. Lucid waters and lush mountains are invaluable assets . I believe that under the guidance of a series of policies, the number of Amur leopards will continue to increase, and maybe they can recreate the past grand occasion of "all the mountains have them"!
Reference:
【1】 China News Network The first image of a wild Siberian leopard cub in Dongning, Heilongjiang 2022-06-15
【2】 CNKI Exploring the Siberian Tiger and Leopard National Park 2021-12-25
【3 】CNKI ecology has improved, and the tiger and leopard are coming 2016-12-30
Author: Yu Wen Review: Xiaoyang Proofreading Editor: Example
