Illinois Welcomes Cubs – World’s Most Endangered Big Cat

March 7, 2022, was a special day at Niabi Zoo in Illinois with the birth of two thriving Amur leopard cubs. With there being less than a hundred of these big cats left in the wild, these new cubs will hopefully help restore their population.

Poaching has been a huge problem with this species. They are hunted in their natural habitats; the cold forests of Russia and China. Their life span of around fifteen years in the wild also doesn’t help the species’ declining numbers.

Multiple organizations have been working in an effort to help bring this species back. The Niabi Zoo was one of the many zoos in the United States chosen to take care of a pair of Amur leopards to bring their numbers up.

Who wouldn’t want more of these magnificent cats in the world? They each have their own set of unique spots that can never be recreated on another Amur leopard. In the winter, these leopards’ fur adapt by growing from 2.5cm to 7cm. Their athletic ability is amazing with a jump of 10 feet vertically and more than 19 feet horizontally, along with the speed of 37 miles per hour.

As time goes on, hopefully, these unique big cats replenish and thrive in the wild. Until then, organizations and zoos are trying their hardest to bring these leopards back.