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Recently, the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) and the
Russian Academy of Sciences Institute of Biology and Soils (IBS) captured
"Alonya", a rare female Far Eastern (Amur) leopard, for a check-up. In addition to facing threats posed by habitat
loss, poaching, and disease, endangered species such as the Far Eastern leopard
are at risk because of inbreeding. Consequently,
the organizations which captured, examined, and later released Alyona didn't
just want to learn more about Far Eastern leopards. The WCS and IBS wanted to learn
about genetic disorders that could be harming the species.
Far Eastern Leopard – Endangered Species
Once, the Far Eastern leopard ranged from China to Russia
to Korea. Today, only about 25 to 40 of these big cats live in the southeastern
corner of Russia.
Poaching, a lack of habitat caused by forest fires and infrastructure
development, the negative impacts of inbreeding, and a lack of political
attention to conservation are all cited as reasons for the Far Eastern
leopard's decline.
According to an August 2008 report by the World Wildlife
Federation (WWF), the species does have better odds now that the Russian government
has decided to "establish a unified, centrally governed protected area". The Amur
leopards will have 2,000 square kilometers of a safe area to play in.
Technology May Help
Although Alyona, the most recently captured Far Eastern leopard,
seemed to be in good health, three previously captured leopards exhibited heart
murmurs upon physical examination – signs of genetic disorders. Because the Amur population is so small, inbreeding
is nearly inevitable, and genetic disorders like these could wind up wiping out
the species, especially when combined with other factors.
Blood samples and an electrocardiogram were saved from each
cat for further analysis. The research
scientists hope that the genetic information revealed will help them to assess
the level of inbreeding, determine the risks, and identify potential
solutions. Ideally, closely-related
leopards could be relocated to avoid the production of inbred offspring. The data collected can also be used for the
future development of a breeding and release program.
The Zoological Society of London (ZSL) has a budget of
$61,000 (USD) that includes salaries for five employees, equipment, and
travel. The organization hopes that population
monitoring, in combination with attempts to stop extinction, will help the Far
Eastern leopard's numbers begin to climb again.
Resources:
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/10/081030123951.htm
http://www.livescience.com/animals/081030-big-cat-checkup.html
http://www.panda.org/news_facts/newsroom/news/index.cfm?uNewsID=143881
http://www.amur-leopard.org/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amur_Leopard
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