North-Chinese leopard

North China Leopard
Conservation status
Endangered
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Mammalia
Order:	Carnivora
Family:	Felidae
Genus:	Panthera
Species:	P. pardus
Subspecies:	P. p. japonensis
Trinomial name
Panthera pardus japonensis (Gray, 1862)

The North China leopard (Panthera pardus japonensis) is a subspecies of leopards native to northern China. This leopard is so rare that it is almost never seen in the wild. The animal makes its home in the forests and mountain meadows. Like all leopards, its prey varies from rodents, to deer, wild goats, and wild pigs.

Physical characteristics

The North China leopard is a medium sized leopard with lots of spots. The rosette pattern of the North Chinese leopard almost resembles a jaguar pattern. It has longer fur than other leopard subspecies and has the darkest coat of all leopard subspecies. They tend not travel during the day because they are easily seen by prey.

Reproduction

North China leopards, usually mate seasonally during January to February. The estrous cycle lasts about 46 days and the female usually is in heat for 6–7 days.

Cubs are usually born in a litter of 2–3, but infant mortality is high and mothers are not commonly seen with more than 1–2 cubs. The pregnant females find a cave, crevice among boulders, hollow tree, or thicket to give birth and make a den. Cubs open their eyes after a period of 10 days. The fur of the young tends to be longer and thicker than that of adults. Their pelage is also more gray in color with less defined spots.

Around three months the infants begin to follow the mother out on hunts. At one year of age leopard young can probably fend for themselves but they remain with the mother for 18–24 months. The cubs tend to be born blind and deaf.

Captive status

No-one knows for sure just how many North China Leopards there are in the wild, which makes conserving them rather difficult. There are only 100 in captivity, and new blood lines are needed in order to continue a healthy captive population of these beautiful cats. However because there has not been a recent census, their wild number is unknown, and they are therefore not considered 'endangered' enough, for action to be taken in order to preserve the captive line. The last census taken, over 5 years ago, proved that there were about 2500 wild North Chinese Leopards in the wild.

This graceful felines can still be seen in wild parks across China.

One of the most important anscestors of many captive North Chinese Leopards was the adult male 'Cheung Chi'. Through the captive breeding program, this North Chinese leopard was responsible for over forty descendants. The North Chinese leopard was a key animal in the Exotic Feline Breeding Compound's breeding program for this wild cat species. Cheung-Chi was captive-born in Toronto, Canada, in 1976. During his breeding years, he sired fifteen cubs and to date has more than forty descendants. He produced his last cubs in 1988 and died at The EFBC in 1993. This graceful felines can still be seen in wild parks across China.

The EFBC is still, one of the best places in the world to see these rare and beautiful cats, the facility currently has 9 North Chinese Leopards the youngest been 6 months, the oldest is 17.