Far Eastern cat interesting facts. Far Eastern Amur cat: photos, facts

Amur forest cats are the smallest of the Asian cats, being only slightly larger than the domestic cat. The size of the body including the tail is about 90 centimeters, while the tail is long - approximately 40 centimeters. Females weigh 2.5-3 kilograms, and males are larger - 3-4 kilograms.

The Amur forest cat (Felis euptilura, Prionailurus euptilura) lives in Russia: In the Khabarovsk and Primorsky Territories. They also live in China, Japan, Nepal, Burma, the Korean Peninsula, Sumatra, Pakistan, Bali, Java and Borneo. More Amur forest cats called Amur cats, Far Eastern forest cats, leopard cats of Tsushima And Amur leopard cats. And scientifically, this animal is considered a subspecies (Prionailurus bengalensis euptilurus).

It has relatively long legs, a small head, and a thin tail. The hair is lush, thick, soft. The length of the guide guard hairs on the back reaches 49 millimeters. The main color of the coat on the upper side is light grayish-yellow or dull grayish-brown with scattered round dark red spots of a vague or clear outline. The back of the Far Eastern forest cat is slightly darker than the sides. The sides gradually become lighter downwards. Three brown stripes stretch along the back of a leopard cat; these stripes are formed by elongated narrow spots. It happens that all three stripes are blurry and merge into one wide belt. There are four to five rusty-brown transverse stripes on the cat’s throat; rows of spots also form transverse stripes on the front legs. The belly is off-white with a yellow tint. The Chinese call this species "money cat", since the spots on his fur resemble ancient ones chinese coins. From the inner corners of the eyes, up the forehead and further along the crown of the head, two white stripes run parallel, between which there is a reddish-brown stripe running from the nose through the forehead and crown of the head to the neck. The tail is dark gray, sometimes one-color, more often it has up to seven black-gray incomplete rings. The tip of the tail is pure black or dark grey.

This view wild cats distributed in the Far East, along the coast Sea of Japan and in the Amur River basin. The range of the Far Eastern forest cat extends across all of China, west to Hindustan and south to the Malay Archipelago.

The Far Eastern forest cat inhabits dense mountain forests, partly thickets of bushes.

The Far Eastern forest cat leads the twilight and night look life. Shy and very cautious, it is difficult to detect. Hunts from ambush (on the ground and trees), catching prey in one jump.

IN winter time migrates from the mountains to river and lake valleys, hilltops covered with dense bushes (where the snow is blown away by the wind and is well compacted).

In severe frosts it can approach human habitation and hunt synanthropic rodents in old buildings. In times of danger, it escapes in the trees.

Shelters are made in the hollows of old trees and rock crevices hidden in dense bushes. Willingly uses abandoned fox and badger holes. The bottom of the den is lined with dry grass and leaves, and wood dust.

Excellent climber on rocks and trees, swims well.

The Amur forest cat has several temporary shelters on its site, which it periodically visits. In winter, it uses only one permanent and safest den.

The Far Eastern forest cat lives in pairs or alone. Only during the breeding season do several cats gather together.

The individual home range of one individual occupies on average 5-9 km2 and depends on the abundance of prey.

Life expectancy in nature is 15-18 years.

It feeds on small rodents: voles, mice, squirrels, also catches birds, and sometimes attacks hares and young roe deer. The diet is often supplemented with grasses, eggs, birds and aquatic prey.

During snowy winters, the Amur leopard cat is forced to stay close to human habitation.

Mating in Far Eastern cats occurs early spring- in March.

Pregnancy in females lasts 65-70 days. Usually kittens appear in the second half of May. In a litter there are 1-2 (sometimes up to 4) blind and helpless kittens, weighing 75-80 g each. Eyes open on the 10th day. The female actively protects the kittens and, in case of danger, takes them to another place. When the kittens are 45-50 days old, they begin to leave the den and explore the surrounding area. At 4-4.5 months, the weight of young cats reaches 3.2 kg, females up to 2.4 kg. At the age of 6 months (October-November), the kittens leave their mother in search of their hunting area. According to some sources, puberty occurs at 8-10 months, according to others only at 18 months.

The father cat also takes part in raising the kittens.

The Far Eastern forest cat can be kept either directly in the house as pet, and as a captive animal in an enclosure.

For home care, it is better to choose a kitten up to 3 months old, raised in home-type nurseries. But even in this case, upon reaching puberty, the cat may become uncontrollable.

The Amur leopard cat is quite good at taming the litter box. Typically, a cat gets used to certain family members and avoids other people.

The Far Eastern forest cat is listed in the Red Book of the Russian Federation, CITES Convention (Appendix II). Population size in recent years started to grow.

Amur forest cats are the smallest of the Asian cats, being only slightly larger than the domestic cat. The size of the body including the tail is about 90 centimeters, while the tail is long - about 40 centimeters. Females weigh 2.5-3 kilograms, and males are larger - 3-4 kilograms.

The Amur forest cat lives in Russia: Khabarovsk and Primorsky Krai. They also live in China, Japan, Nepal, Burma, the Korean Peninsula, Sumatra, Pakistan, Bali, Java and Bloneo. Amur forest cats are also called Amur cats, Far Eastern forest cats and Tsushima leopard cats.

Description of the Amur forest cat

The body is elongated, muscular and strong. The head is small, elongated, the whiskers are long. There is a wide bare stripe on the nose. The upper canines are thick and long. Paws medium length, they end in small claws. The ears are round in shape and have no tufts at their tips. The thin tail is covered with fluffy dense fur.

The coat is short, thick and lush. Winter fur is lighter and thicker than summer fur. The guard hairs reach 4.9 centimeters in length. Fur color ranges from gray-yellow to reddish-brown or dirty brown. The lower part of the body and sides are lighter than the back. The body has oval spots of a dark red color with a black or blurry edging.

Three brown-black stripes run along the back, which are formed from elongated narrow spots. Sometimes these stripes can merge into one wide stripe. There are 4 or 5 transverse reddish-brown stripes on the throat. There are transverse stripes on the front legs. There are also spots on the belly, but they are lighter. The tail is usually a solid dark gray or reddish, with a dark gray or black tip.

On each side of the head, 2 whitish stripes run across the forehead from the eyes, and between them there is a reddish-brown stripe that runs from the nose to the neck. The nose is grey-red, the throat and chest are dirty white, the chin is white. The outside of the ears is white with a dark border, and the tips are reddish-white. Juveniles have more spots than adults.

Habitat of Amur cats

Amur forest cats live on the slopes of low mountains, in river and lake valleys, wilderness areas, meadows with tall grass, forest edges and reed thickets. They rise to the mountains no higher than 500-600 meters.

These predators can often be found near human habitation. Areas where intensive economic activity, Amur forest cats avoid.

Lifestyle of Far Eastern forest cats

These animals can live alone or in pairs, but during the breeding season several individuals gather together. Each cat has its own individual area of 5-9 square km. These predators are nocturnal and twilight image life. Amur forest cats are shy and mistrustful, making them difficult to detect. They attack prey from an ambush, which they set up on the ground or in trees.

In winter, Amur cats migrate from the mountains to valleys and hilltops, from which snow is blown away by the wind. During severe frosts, they can approach people's homes, where they catch rodents in old buildings.

If a Far Eastern cat is in danger, it takes refuge in a tree. They make shelters in hollows, rock crevices or among dense bushes; they also happily use abandoned holes of badgers and foxes. The bottom of the den is insulated with wood dust, leaves and grass.

Amur forest cats can excellently climb trees and rocks and swim well. The predator has several temporary shelters on the site. In winter, the safest permanent housing is used.

Far Eastern forest cats feed on mouse-like rodents, chipmunks, squirrels, Manchurian hares, birds and their eggs. Sometimes they can attack larger prey, for example, young deer and roe deer.

The lifespan of Amur forest cats in nature is 8-10 years, and in captivity they can live up to 15 years.

Reproduction of Tsushima leopard cats

Breeding season Amur cats in the northern parts of the range it occurs in February-March, and their kittens are born in May. IN southern parts range, Far Eastern forest cats can breed throughout the year. During mating time, they make rather loud and abrupt calls. A pair is formed during a cat's heat. Male accepts active participation in raising babies.

Pregnancy lasts 65-72 days. There are 1-2 kittens in a litter, with a maximum of 4 babies. They are helpless and blind, weighing no more than 80 grams. Kittens' eyes open after 10 days. The female takes care of the kittens, and if they are in danger, she moves them to a new shelter. At the age of 50 days, young cats emerge from the den and explore the nearest territory. At 4 months, females already weigh 2.4 kilograms, and males - 3.2 kilograms. At 6 months, kittens become independent and leave their mother, looking for their own hunting area. According to some data, puberty in Amur forest cats occurs at 8-10 months, but according to other sources they mature no earlier than 18 months.

The benefits and harms of Amur forest cats for humans

Tsushima's leopard cats are not commercially hunted. But some hunters shoot them. Sometimes these predators steal poultry. Amur cats are not tamed.

Population of Far Eastern forest cats

Amur forest cats are in the Red Book of Russia. They are protected by the CITES Convention (Annex II). IN lately the population began to grow.

The main threat to the species is loss of habitat: plowing, deforestation, fires. Hunting also affects the number of Amur cats, weather conditions and hybridization with domestic cats.

The Amur forest cat is a rare subspecies, listed in the Red Book of the Primorsky Territory.

The highest density of Far Eastern steppe cats is observed in the Khasansky and Khankaysky districts of the Primorsky Territory, it is 3-4 individuals per 10 square kilometers. The approximate number of Amur forest cats in the Primorsky Territory is 2-2.5 thousand individuals.

The number of Tsushima leopard cat on the island is extremely low, it does not exceed 80-110 individuals. There are 32 cats in Japanese zoos. In Japan, these predators are protected by the state.

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The Far Eastern forest cat, also known as the Amur leopard cat, is a subspecies of the Bengal cat.

Appearance

The body size of the Amur leopard cat is 75-90 centimeters, the tail is 35-37 centimeters.

The weight of a male is up to 15 kg.

It has relatively long legs, a small head, and a thin tail. The hair is lush, thick, soft. The length of the guide guard hairs on the back reaches 49 millimeters. The main color of the coat on the upper side is light grayish-yellow or dull grayish-brown with scattered round dark red spots of a vague or clear outline. The back of the Far Eastern forest cat is slightly darker than the sides. The sides gradually become lighter downwards. Three brown stripes stretch along the back of a leopard cat; these stripes are formed by elongated narrow spots. It happens that all three stripes are blurry and merge into one wide belt. There are four to five rusty-brown transverse stripes on the cat’s throat; rows of spots also form transverse stripes on the front legs. The belly is off-white with a yellow tint. The Chinese call this species the "money cat" because the spots on its fur resemble ancient Chinese coins. From the inner corners of the eyes, up the forehead and further along the crown of the head, two white stripes run parallel, between which there is a reddish-brown stripe running from the nose through the forehead and crown of the head to the neck. The tail is dark gray, sometimes one-color, more often it has up to seven black-gray incomplete rings. The tip of the tail is pure black or dark grey.

Habitat

This species of wild cat is widespread in the Far East, along the coast of the Sea of Japan and in the Amur River basin. The range of the Far Eastern forest cat extends across all of China, west to Hindustan and south to the Malay Archipelago.

The Far Eastern forest cat inhabits dense mountain forests, partly thickets of bushes.

Lifestyle, nutrition

The Far Eastern forest cat leads a crepuscular and nocturnal lifestyle. Shy and very cautious, it is difficult to detect. Hunts from ambush (on the ground and trees), catching prey in one jump.

In winter, it migrates from the mountains to river and lake valleys, hilltops covered with dense bushes (where the snow is blown away by the wind and is well compacted).

In severe frosts it can approach human habitation and hunt synanthropic rodents in old buildings. In times of danger, it escapes in the trees.

Excellent climber on rocks and trees, swims well.

The Amur forest cat has several temporary shelters on its site, which it periodically visits. In winter, it uses only one permanent and safest den.

The Far Eastern forest cat lives in pairs or alone. Only during the breeding season do several cats gather together.

The individual territory of one individual occupies on average 5-9 km 2 and depends on the abundance of prey.

Life expectancy in nature is 15-18 years.

It feeds on small rodents: voles, mice, squirrels, also catches birds, and sometimes attacks hares and young roe deer. The diet is often supplemented with grasses, eggs, birds and aquatic prey.

During snowy winters, the Amur leopard cat is forced to stay close to human habitation.

Reproduction and lifespanFar Eastern forest cat

Mating in Far Eastern cats occurs in early spring - in March.

The father cat also takes part in raising the kittens.

Far Eastern forest cat in captivity

The Far Eastern forest cat can be kept either directly in the house as a pet, or as an open-air animal in an enclosure.

For home care, it is better to choose a kitten up to 3 months old, raised in home-type nurseries. But even in this case, upon reaching puberty, the cat may become uncontrollable.

The Amur leopard cat is quite good at taming the litter box. Typically, a cat gets used to certain family members and avoids other people.

When keeping a cat in an enclosure, it is necessary to build an enclosure with a minimum size of 1.5 x 3 x 1.5 m. Cell size from 15x15 to 50x50 mm. The floor should be either wood or concrete (wood is preferable in the cold season). Sometimes in outdoor enclosures a layer of earth or sand is poured onto the concrete.

To maintain cleanliness in the enclosure, it is advisable to use behavioral characteristics cats - creating a “latrine”, under which a tray with sand or sawdust is adapted in an enclosure. It is necessary to install a shelter in the enclosure. This could be a wooden booth with bedding inside (straw or rags).

In enclosures, shelves are installed on different heights or vertically and horizontally cutting down trees of the appropriate diameter. At large area enclosures and a height of at least five meters for cats, wooden or stone terraces are arranged at the back wall.

Feeding in captivity

The main food of the Far Eastern forest cat in captivity is lean meats, such as beef, but without live food - rats, mice, day-old chicks and quails, maintaining normal physiological activity and reproduction of animals is difficult, especially since the behavioral characteristics of the predator are dulled, which leads to " obsessive movements”, boredom of the animal. In addition, the animal eats not only fresh meat, but also the contents of the intestines, the brain, and part of the skin with wool (feather) of “live” food. It is believed that to complete protein metabolism, it is advisable to offer fish once a week. But not all the time. Excess fish in the diet can lead to the leaching of calcium from the animal’s body and, accordingly, to associated diseases, such as rickets.

For daily feeding of a Far Eastern forest cat, 2 mice, or one rat and about 200 grams are enough. lean meat. Feed once a day.

An equally important component of feeding is a weekly fasting or “fasting” day, when the animal (except for females during lactation and kittens up to six months of age) is not given meat or live food. However, some specialists, once a week, in addition to the “hungry” day, arrange a “half-starved” day, when the norm of meat or live food is given at half the norm. This is important, since in captivity cats do not expend energy as intensively as in the wild and therefore often become fat, get sick and even die.

When keeping cats indoors, in good weather they need to be walked periodically fresh air. On the street, the cat receives natural ultraviolet light (which is extremely necessary for the production of vitamin D, which in turn has a positive effect on health), feeds on meadow grass (looking for the necessary herbs for the body), and gets acquainted with new smells. Walking “domestic” cats is important for the full physical and psycho-emotional development of the animal.

Life expectancy in captivity is 20 years.

Population status and conservation

The Far Eastern forest cat is listed in the Red Book of the Russian Federation, CITES Convention (Appendix II). The population has begun to grow in recent years.

The main threats to the species: loss of habitat (fires, logging, plowing of virgin land with tall grass, hunting), weather factors, hybridization with domestic cats.

The Amur forest cat is the closest relative of the more famous Bengal cat, which lives a little further south. Very little is known about these inhabitants of the taiga. Amur cats are listed in the Red Book as an endangered species. Scientists cannot say how true this is. In fact, the animal was included in the red list only because there is no accurate data on its number.

The Amur cat is widespread in the Far East. it can be found in the Amur River basin, as well as on the coast of the Sea of Japan. These animals are legal residents of the Lazovsky, Bolshekhehtsirsky, Khankaysky and Ussuriysky nature reserves, as well as biosphere reserve Cedar Pad. It is known that some “travelers” even went to Transbaikal region. According to preliminary estimates by specialists, there are only about 2,000 individuals of these cats, and maybe less; no one really bothered counting them.

Video about wild Amur cats:

What does an Amur forest cat look like?

The Amur forest cat is a small animal, its weight ranges from 4-8 kg. Body length is 60-90 cm, of which about 40 cm is the tail. Males are noticeably larger than cats. You can see what an Amur cat looks like in the photo.

The head of Amur cats is rounded, the forehead is high. The ears are set very wide, small, rounded, directed forward and slightly to the sides. The eyes are large, expressive, set slightly askew and located close to each other. The nose is wide, straight with a large expressive lobe brown. Small rounded whisker pads are well defined, complemented by a strong chin.

In 2004, the Amur cat was depicted on silver coin from the series “Red Book of Russia” in denomination of 1 ruble.

Amur cats are strong, well-built animals on high legs with well-developed muscles and thick fur. The color is grayish-yellow on the lower part of the body and grayish-brown on the upper part. Round dark red spots are scattered across the body, and the head and muzzle are decorated with dark, clear stripes.

Lifestyle and habits

Very little is known about the life and habits of Amur cats, apparently because they were always in the shade, in the shade of trees and Amur tigers.

There is information that Amur cats are monogamous, that is, they choose a mate for their entire lives. This is not at all typical for cats and raises doubts. It is reliably known that the cat helps the cat raise offspring. Amur cats reach sexual maturity very early. Already at the age of 1 year they are ready to give birth. They mate, as cats should, in March. pregnancy lasts 60-70 days. Amur cats rarely have more than four kittens in a litter. Life expectancy is 16-17 years.

Cats hunt more often at dusk. The menu mainly consists of small animals, rodents and birds. In general, Amur cats hunt anything that is smaller than themselves. Sometimes they don’t mind eating reptiles, insects, and in rare cases, fish. If you're lucky and the Amur cat stumbles across the remains of a tiger or leopard's feast, then you won't have to hunt. Cupids are excellent climbers of trees, hiding on the tops from natural enemies.

It is difficult to say how aggressive these cats are; when they meet people, they try to move away and do not come close to the anthropogenic zone. Although, hunger is not a problem. In 2010, Far Eastern cats, due to a protracted cold winter began to organize regular raids on chicken coops in the Primorsky Territory. As soon as the snow began to melt, the cats were no longer there.

Amur cats really do not like loose snow. During snowfalls, they may not leave their shelter for weeks until crust forms. They live in burrows abandoned by other animals, and in the warm season they make nests in reeds and tree roots. Usually a cat has several temporary shelters on the property and only in winter one, the most comfortable and safe one.

Study of the Amur cat by felinologists from WCS (video):

The Far Eastern forest cat is one of the northernmost representatives of the cat family living in Central Asia. Scientists classify it as an Asian small cat; this numerous genus is often called “leopard print” due to the characteristic coat color common to all representatives.

Appearance

Unlike its distant relatives, lynxes and Bengal cats, the Amur Far Eastern forest cat is very similar in appearance to an ordinary domestic cat, although it belongs to a completely different subspecies. It reaches 90–95 cm in length, with almost half (about 40 cm) being a flexible, narrow tail.

Weight can vary from 2.5 to 4 kg in females and from 4 to 8 kg in males. Among the small Asian cats, the Amur forest cat is the smallest.
The body of this cautious predator is elongated, very flexible and muscular.
Powerful paws and longer whiskers than those of domestic pets make it a rather dangerous opponent when hunting.
The small, elongated head is crowned with rounded ears without any hint of tassels: this feature makes it easy to distinguish the Far Eastern cat, which is safe for humans, from its more dangerous relatives.
Important distinctive feature: The eyes of Amur cats are located close to each other and are distinguished by a deep set.
In the middle of the nose you can see a wide strip on which hair is completely absent.
The fangs of these forest hunters are long and thick, and the claws, on the contrary, are quite short but strong.

The tracks left by the Far Eastern forest cat in the snow are often confused with the tracks of domestic cats, since they differ mainly only in size.

Leopard cat color

A “leopard” cat has very soft hair, with a dense, thick undercoat. The color of the skin can vary from grayish-sand to yellow-brown, with oval-shaped reddish spots scattered throughout the body. Because of these spots that resemble antique coins, the Chinese nicknamed the predator “Money Cat.”

On the back, dark specks merge into three black-brown stripes. The same stripes, only transverse, can be seen on the cat’s paws and throat. In young animals, the leopard coloring is more pronounced, but with age the color becomes more even.

On the belly of all representatives of this species the fur is lighter than on the ridge (in the area of the chest and throat it approaches dirty white). But the tail, on the contrary, is almost always monochromatic, reddish-gray or brown. The tip is painted dark gray or black. Sometimes you can see dark stripes ringing it.

The head of a forest cat is decorated with two lighter stripes running from the inner corners of each eye. Between them, from the red-gray nose through the top of the head, a brown stripe stretches to the neck. The animal’s chin is almost white, but the tips of the ears, on the contrary, are painted black. In general, the brown-striped color serves as excellent protection for Amur cats, making it almost invisible both on the branches of a tree and on the ground covered with leaves.

Habitats

Amur forest cat, like many other inhabitants Far East, endemic. It is not found anywhere else. This predator inhabits the entire length of the Amur River, on the coast of the Sea of Japan, in the area of lakes Khanka and Khasan, on the Hindustan Peninsula, as well as practically throughout the entire territory of China up to the Malay Islands.

He feels especially comfortable in nature reserves: Khankaysky, Ussuriysky, Lazovsky, Kedrovoy Pad. This is explained not so much by safety (in industrial scale the Amur cat has never been hunted) due to its remoteness from human settlements.

This predator is also found on some of the Japanese islands. In fact, this is where one of its names came from: “Leopard Cat of Tsushima.”

It lives mainly in grassy floodplains, deciduous or mixed forests. It is less common in the taiga, although even there you can see its spotted skin. In Pomorie, its main habitat is shrubs and reed lowlands along the banks of oxbow lakes and lakes. In these places you can often find the name “reed cat”: it is not entirely correct, since a completely different representative of the cat family has the same name, but it well reflects the lifestyle of the Amur predator.

The Far Eastern cat feels quite confident on the rocks, although it does not climb high into the mountains. The reason for this is the snow that accumulates between the stones in winter (the maximum depth of snow cover at which a predator can hunt is 30-40 cm).

With the beginning of winter, the cat hides in the nest and does not leave it until a strong frozen crust forms on the surface of the snow, capable of supporting the weight of the animal. The only exceptions are cats feeding their cubs, and those of their cats who were unlucky in hunting before the blizzard.

Habits and lifestyle

The forest cat is very careful, even timid. It's not easy to notice. Moreover, he is afraid of people and tries not to be seen.

In rock crevices, old hollows, abandoned badger holes, he makes a nest for himself. Like other predators of the cat family, the forest cat leads a predominantly crepuscular and nocturnal lifestyle. During the day it sleeps in the den, and at nightfall it goes out to hunt.

Its food is small warm-blooded animals. First of all, these are, of course, rodents of all kinds. However, larger forest inhabitants - such as hares, squirrels, muskrats - can also easily become prey for this predator.

There are known cases when the Amur cat attacked young roe deer and emerged victorious. Even members of the mustelid family, ferrets and weasels, can get caught in his teeth. True, they themselves are serious opponents of the forest cat, so the outcome of such a fight is unknown in advance. And, of course, birds: they form an important part of the diet of this predator. Thanks to his claws, he easily climbs trees, so it costs him nothing to catch a careless jay or destroy a nest.

Amur forest cats do not like direct confrontations. They prefer to hunt from ambush, often using tree branches as such. However, despite their stealth and small size, if necessary, they do not hesitate to engage in open battle even with an enemy larger than them.

Courage and wild temper make them a serious opponent. Thus, near human habitation, the “Money Cat” often attacks feeding rats. Even dogs several times their size cannot always cope with these aggressive and deadly rodents, but the Far Eastern forest cat usually emerges victorious from such a fight. And many Pomeranian hunters admit that they would prefer to meet a larger lynx in the forest than this cute fluffy cat.

Reproduction

The Far Eastern forest cat is a rare individualist. He lives and hunts alone, and only in early spring, in March, does he find a mate. At this time, the forest is filled with loud, abrupt cries with which the males call their female friends. Pregnancy in females lasts 65–70 days.

By the end of May, the cat brings kittens: usually one or two. The maximum number of cubs in a litter is 4. They are born blind, open their eyes only on the 10th day, and weigh no more than 80 grams. Only after one and a half to two months do they leave the den to explore the territory that belongs to them. All this time, the mother cat jealously takes care of them, dragging the kittens to another place at the slightest danger.

The father also participates in raising the offspring. By 6 months, the animals become completely independent and leave the nest to find their own hunting area. Maturity for these predators occurs, according to various sources, at 12–18 months. In general, the lifespan is 8–15 years.

Number

It may seem strange, but there is no exact data on the number of forest Amur cats. They are so secretive that it is not possible to make even an approximate count. However, they are currently listed in the Red Book as an endangered species.

The reason for this was not hunting, as it might seem, but the loss of places suitable for habitation. Every year there are fewer and fewer isolated forests or lowlands not plowed for fields. Huge danger for forest inhabitants They also represent the annual “burnings” - burning of last year’s leaves and fallen branches.

The Far Eastern forest cat is not dangerous to humans, but in the USSR for half a century it was listed among the “enemies”, along with the lynx and the wolf. Because of this harmless cat, he was often killed for no reason, solely for the sake of a minor reward from the village council.

Fortunately for the Far Eastern cat, he doesn't have much to show off. valuable fur, and in Russia it was never hunted as a fur-bearing animal. But in China, the “Money” predator for a long time They killed precisely for the sake of fur. Now hunting for it is prohibited, and it is included in the list of animals protected by law.

Life in captivity

An untrained eye can easily confuse this resident of the taiga with a feral pet. Due to the “habitual” coloring, which makes the forest Amur cat look like the affectionate “Murka”, there have been repeated attempts to tame the predator. These attempts were not crowned with success: he does not live long at home, treats his owners with suspicion, and his wild disposition makes him a rather dangerous pet. Adult cats, even when taken to people immediately after birth, tend to go back to the forest.

When trying to crossbreed Far Eastern forest cats with their domesticated relatives, a curious fact emerged: the males that appeared from such parents were sterile, and only cats could have offspring.

But studies of Amur cats are carried out regularly. To do this, a trap cage is used, in which a piece of meat is placed. When a cat enters the cage to take the bait, it is caught, euthanized, and a special collar with a beacon is placed around its neck. This is exactly how information was collected about the life of these cautious and cunning inhabitants of Amur and Pomerania.