Amur leopards are sexually dimorphic (with two distinct gender forms). Males are slightly larger than females. Their long, thick fur is light in the winter and reddish-yellow in the summer. Large, dark spots form rosettes on their shoulders, legs, back, sides, and haunches, while their head, throat, and chest have small black spots. Meanwhile, their belly is whitish, with large black blotches.Their legs are somewhat longer than other leopard subspecies. Thick fur is distinctive of this species as well. These are adaptations to cold, snowy winters.

Amur leopards are very rare, and their population trend is decreasing. Their entire estimated range is only 965 square miles. Threats to Amur leopards include poaching; retribution hunting; loss of habitat from fire, logging, and human settlement; loss of prey; and loss of genetic diversity. The most recent census results estimate about 100 Amur leopards left in the wild.

• Listed as “critically endangered" on the IUCN Red List (International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources).
• CZS Conservation - Species Survival Plan
• The Chicago Zoological Society administers the Chicago Board of Trade (CBOT) Endangered Species Fund, which supports conservation-oriented research. The grant program attracts dozens of innovative research projects each quarter, which have included Amur leopard conservation initiatives.
• Zoological Society of London

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