The rarest wild cats

• The rarest wild cats

Currently in the wild lives of 40, and according to some 41 species of cats. Most of them are on the verge of extinction. And today I want to show you the cats, which in nature is so short that some may disappear tomorrow ... literally

In general, just I want to clarify that it mainly goes on species and subspecies of. Let's start with the cheetahs. Species is considered vulnerable, but to meet a cheetah in Africa is still fairly simple, but the Asiatic subspecies is critically endangered. According to the most optimistic estimates in nature it kept no more than 100 individuals of Asian cheetah, most in Iran.

A similar story with the leopard. In India or Africa, leopards are common. In Africa, the leopard population is fairly stable, which is not our - Far Eastern leopard - the rare leopard subspecies. According to various sources in the wild, then there were from 90 to 100 individuals. A large part of Russia, where they carefully guard.

About Lynx, I think everyone has heard. In our country, the most common wild cat. But few are aware of the incredibly beautiful Pyrenean lynx. Although my regular readers certainly know this cat. According to the 2010 year in the wild, they had no more than 100 individuals, but recently I talked with colleagues from Spain, they argue that the population is steadily increasing and is probably now in the mountains of Spain is home to around 200 individuals of this subspecies.

Florida Panther - another subspecies of the cat is on the verge of extinction. The very sight is stable, but the Florida subspecies, alas, no. People just survived the Florida puma with its habitat. At this point in the nature of these cats there are about 150 species ...

And now about the tigers. Just nature remained about 7000-8000 individuals. And almost all of the subspecies are endangered, or somewhere nearby. In some countries (such as Russia) is actively working on the conservation of this species, as in other countries are still allowed to hunt them. One of the most rapidly dwindling tiger subspecies - the Sumatran.

In just a few years, the number of individuals Sumatran tiger cut in half and is about 200-250 individuals. If you make an effort, the Sumatran tiger can be saved, but the Chinese tiger (Panthera tigris amoyensis) practically no chance. In the wild, at the moment there are not more than 30 individuals! And this is a rare wild cat on the planet. Of course, in China do anything to save this subspecies of tiger, but the probability tends to zero. Several individuals even moved to South Africa in a private reserve, where the cat is absolutely no danger. But even such an unusual and complex solutions do not guarantee the success ...