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Feces from captive and wild carnivores can yield valuable information about an individuals’ physiological and reproductive status, diet, and ecology. Near infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) is a rapid, noninvasive, cost-efficient technique widely used in the agricultural, pharmaceutical, and chemical industries that has gained traction in diagnostic and ecological field applications for herbivore species, such as wild deer, antelope, and giant panda. The aim of this study was to test the transferability of NIRS to measuring reproductive status in feces from 2 endangered carnivore species, the Snow (Panthera uncia) and Amur (Panthera pardus orientalis) leopards. Fecal near infrared spectra analysed with multivariate statistics were used to generate prediction models for estrone-3-glucuronide (E1G) and progesterone (P4). In the E1G NIRS model, fecal samples (n=93) were obtained from 5 female leopards (3 Amur, 2 Snow) at 5 different zoo facilities, whereas for the P4 NIRS model fecal samples (n=51) from only 1 pregnant Amur leopard was available. The hormones were extracted with methanol and quantified by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (C. Munroe), where the sample range for E1G was 0.20-2.17 μg/g and the range for P4 was 0.06-61.89 μg/g. The near infrared spectra (350-2500nm) were acquired with an ASD FieldSpec®3 portable spectrometer (Malvern Panalytical, Malvern, UK), and the chemometric analysis was realised using the Unscrambler® X v.10.4 (CAMO Software AS, Oslo, Norway). Hormone reference values were log transformed before chemometric analysis to account for the heterogeneity of variance. Spectral pretreatment of standard normal variate was applied to the truncated wavelength range 700-240 0nm in order to remove interference from the visible region (350-700nm) due to individual diets that can confer colour variants that alter spectral signatures. Initial principal component analysis for the E1G and P4 datasets models showed >95% of the variation was explained by 4 factors, with no separation of principal component analysis scores between species or reproductive status. Quantitative prediction models using partial least-squares regression on selected wavelength ranges yielded a coefficient of determination for E1G and P4 of 0.10-0.04 and 0.35-0.19 for calibrations and validations, respectively. These near infrared models require further mathematical processing and consideration of sample variation due to diet complexity in carnivores in order to accurately assess hormone levels and monitor reproductive cycles in these species. This work was supported by USDA-ARS Biophotonics Initiative grant #58-6402-3-018.

Natural range loss limits the population growth of Asian big cats and may determine their survival. Over the past decade, we collected occurrence data of the critically endangered Amur leopard worldwide and developed a distribution model of the leopard’s historical range in northeastern China over the past decade. We were interested to explore how much current range area exists, learn what factors limit their spatial distribution, determine the population size and estimate the extent of potential habitat. Our results identify 48,252 km2 of current range and 21,173.7 km2 of suitable habitat patches and these patches may support 195.1 individuals. We found that prey presence drives leopard distribution, that leopard density exhibits a negative response to tiger occurrence and that the largest habitat patch connects with 5,200 km2of Russian current range. These insights provide a deeper understanding of the means by which endangered predators might be saved and survival prospects for the Amur leopard not only in China, but also through imperative conservation cooperation internationally.

A role for molecular genetic approaches in conservation of endangered taxa is now commonly recognized. Because conservation genetic analyses provide essential insights on taxonomic status, recent evolutionary history and current health of endangered taxa, they are considered in nearly all conservation programs. Genetic analyses of the critically endangered Far Eastern, or Amur leopard, Panthera pardus orientalis, have been done recently to address all of these questions and develop strategies for survival of the leopard in the wild. The genetic status and implication for conservation management of the Far Eastern leopard subspecies are discussed.

The critically endangered population of Far Eastern leopards ( Panthera pardus orientalis) may number as few as 60 individuals and is at risk from stochastic processes such as infectious disease. During May 2015, a case of canine distemper virus (CDV) was diagnosed in a wild leopard exhibiting severe neurologic disease in the Russian territory of Primorskii Krai. Amplified sequences of the CDV hemagglutinin gene and phosphoprotein gene aligned within the Arctic-like clade of CDV, which includes viruses from elsewhere in Russia, China, Europe, and North America. Histologic examination of cerebral tissue revealed perivascular lymphoid cuffing and demyelination of the white matter consistent with CDV infection. Neutralizing antibodies against CDV were detected in archived serum from two wild Far Eastern leopards sampled during 1993-94, confirming previous exposure in the population. This leopard population is likely too small to maintain circulation of CDV, suggesting that infections arise from spillover from more-abundant domestic or wild carnivore reservoirs. Increasing the population size and establishment of additional populations of leopards would be important steps toward securing the future of this subspecies and reducing the risk posed by future outbreaks of CDV or other infectious diseases.

Leopards, Panthera pardus, are widely distributed across southern Asia and sub-Saharan Africa. The extent and phylogeographic patterns of molecular genetic diversity were addressed in a survey of 77 leopards from known geographical locales representing 13 of the 27 classical trinomial subspecies. Phylogenetic analysis of mitochondrial DNA sequences (727 bp of NADH5 and control region) and 25 polymorphic microsatellite loci revealed abundant diversity that could be partitioned into a minimum of nine discrete populations, tentatively named here as revised subspecies: P. pardus pardus, P. p. nimr, P. p. saxicolor, P. p. fusca, P. p. kotiya, P. p. delacouri, P. p. japonensis, P. p. orientalis and P. p. melas. However, because of limited sampling of African populations, this may be an underestimate of modern phylogeographic population structure. Combined phylogeographic and population diversity estimates support an origin for modern leopard lineages 470,000-825,000 years ago in Africa followed by their migration into and across Asia more recently (170,000-300,000 years ago). Recent demographic reductions likely have led to genetic impoverishment in P. p. orientalis and in the island subspecies P. p. kotiya.

Two frozen, raw horse meat-based diets fed to captive exotic felids at Brookfield Zoo were irradiated to determine the extent of microbial destruction and whether radiation treatment would affect consumption and/or fecal consistency in exotic cats. Fifteen cats, two African lions (Panthera leo), two Amur tigers (Panthera tigris altaica), one Amur leopard (Panthera pardus orientalis), two clouded leopards (Neofelis nebulosa), two caracals (Felis caracal), one bobcat (Felis rufus), and five fishing cats (Felis viverrinus), housed at Brookfield Zoo were fed nonirradiated and irradiated raw diets containing horse meat with cereal products and fortified with nutrients: Nebraska Brand Feline and/or Canine Diet (Animal Spectrum, North Platte, Nebraska 69103, USA). Baseline data were obtained during a 2-wk control period (nonirradiated diets), which was followed by a 4-wk period of feeding comparable irradiated diets. Feed intake and fecal consistency data were collected. An estimated radiation dose range of 0.5-3.9 kilograys reduced most microbial populations, depending on specific diet and microbe type. Irradiation had no overall effect on either feed consumption or fecal consistency in captive exotic cats, regardless of species, age, sex, or body mass. Data indicate that irradiation of frozen horse meat-based diets (packaged in 2.2-kg portions) result in microbial destruction in these products but that product storage time between irradiation and sampling may also affect microbial reduction. However, irradiation would be an appropriate method for reducing potentially pathologic bacteria in raw meat fed to exotic cats.

The Amur leopard is at the point of extinction. At present there are fewer than 35 in the wild. Their natural habitat ranges from China to the North Korean peninsula to Primorsky Krai in Russia. A reintroduction plan has been proposed to increase the population in the wild; however, this proposed plan still has many questions to be answered as to how effective it will be. The main objective is to reintroduce animals from a select group within the Far Eastern leopard programme or the Species Survival programme, which consist of leopards from select populations in the Northern Hemisphere. Zoos are central to the success of this plan, providing suitable breeding pairs to breed animals for reintroduction and also raising much needed funds to finance the project. Zoos are also central in educating the public about the critical status of the Amur leopard and other endangered animals of the world. Veterinary surgeons, by the very nature of their professional skills, are at the forefront of this seemingly endless battle against extinction of thousands of species that are critical to maintaining the balance of our fragile ecosystem. Veterinarians can analyze the health risks and health implications of reintroduction on the animals to be reintroduced and also on the native population. A world without large cats is a world hard to imagine. If we look closer at the implications of extinction, we see the domino effect of their loss and an ecosystem out of control.

Toxoplasma gondii infections in zoo animals are of interest because many captive animals die of clinical toxoplasmosis and because of the potential risk of exposure of children and elderly to T. gondii oocysts excreted by cats in the zoos. Seroprevalence of T. gondii antibodies in wild zoo felids, highly susceptible zoo species, and feral cats from 8 zoos of the midwestern United States was determined by using the modified agglutination test (MAT). A titer of 1:25 was considered indicative of T. gondii exposure. Among wild felids, antibodies to T. gondii were found in 6 (27.3%) of 22 cheetahs (Acynonyx jubatus jubatus), 2 of 4 African lynx (Caracal caracal), 1 of 7 clouded leopards (Neofelis nebulosa), 1 of 5 Pallas cats (Otocolobus manul), 12 (54.5%) of 22 African lions (Panthera leo), 1 of 1 jaguar (Panthera onca), 1 of 1 Amur leopard (Panthera pardus orientalis), 1 of 1 Persian leopard (Panthera pardus saxicolor), 5 (27.8%) of 18 Amur tigers (Panthera tigris altaica), 1 of 4 fishing cats (Prionailurus viverrinus), 3 of 6 pumas (Puma concolor), 2 of 2 Texas pumas (Puma concolor stanleyana), and 5 (35.7%) of 14 snow leopards (Uncia uncia). Antibodies were found in 10 of 34 feral domestic cats (Felis domesticus) trapped in 3 zoos. Toxoplasma gondii oocysts were not found in any of the 78 fecal samples from wild and domestic cats. Among the macropods, antibodies were detected in 1 of 3 Dama wallabies (Macropus eugenii), 1 of 1 western grey kangaroo (Macropus fuliginosus), 1 of 2 wallaroos (Macropus robustus), 6 of 8 Bennett's wallabies (Macropus rufogriseus), 21 (61.8%) of 34 red kangaroos (Macropus rufus), and 1 of 1 dusky pademelon (Thylogale brunii). Among prosimians, antibodies were detected in 1 of 3 blue-eyed black lemurs (Eulemur macaco flavifrons), 1 of 21 ring-tailed lemurs (Lemur catta), 2 of 9 red-ruffed lemurs (Varecia variegata rubra), and 2 of 4 black- and white-ruffed lemurs (Varecia variegata variegata). Among the avian species tested, 2 of 3 bald eagles (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) were seropositive. Among 7 possible risk factors, sex, freezing meat temperature (above -13 C vs. below -13 C), washing vegetables thoroughly, frequency of feral cat sightings on zoo grounds (occasionally vs. frequently), frequency of feral cat control programs, capability of feral cats to enter hay/grain barn, and type of animal exhibit, exhibiting animals in open enclosures was the only factor identified as a significant risk (OR 3.22, P = 0.00).

Metadata only record In order to protect the last remaining Amur leopards, the Tigris Foundation has developed a compensation project to prevent retaliation from farmers when their livestock are killed. This is done in conjunction with other programs including anti-poaching, education, land-use planning, forest fire-fighting, and habitat monitoring. Compensation from tiger and leopard kills varies from financial compensation for individual animals, financial compensation due to the presence of tigers and leopards, or practical assistance. Since 1999, a total of $5668 was paid in compensation in Khasan. PES-1 (Payments for Environmental Services Associate Award)

The Far Eastern or Amur leopard (Panthera pardus orientalis) survives today as a tiny relict population of 25-40 individuals in the Russian Far East. The population descends from a 19th-century northeastern Asian subspecies whose range extended over southeastern Russia, the Korean peninsula, and northeastern China. A molecular genetic survey of nuclear microsatellite and mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) sequence variation validates subspecies distinctiveness but also reveals a markedly reduced level of genetic variation. The amount of genetic diversity measured is the lowest among leopard subspecies and is comparable to the genetically depleted Florida panther and Asiatic lion populations. When considered in the context of nonphysiological perils that threaten small populations (e.g., chance mortality, poaching, climatic extremes, and infectious disease), the genetic and demographic data indicate a critically diminished wild population under severe threat of extinction. An established captive population of P. p. orientalis displays much higher diversity than the wild population sample, but nearly all captive individuals are derived from a history of genetic admixture with the adjacent Chinese subspecies, P. p. japonensis. The conservation management implications of potential restoration/augmentation of the wild population with immigrants from the captive population are discussed.

The total length of the Prionailurus bengalensis euptilurus genome is 16,990 bp, with a total base composition of 33% A, 27.4% T, 26% C, and 13.5% G. The base compositions present clearly the A-T skew, which is most obvious in the tRNA genes (64%).

In 1995 and 1996, the shedding of Toxoplasma gondii oocysts was monitored in the faeces of Felidae in six zoos in the Czech Republic. In all, 2287 samples of faeces from 19 species of Felidae were examined. In Ostrava Zoo, four episodes of shedding of Toxoplasma-like oocysts were identified, using a flotation examination, in a pair of wild cats (Felis silvestris), six episodes in a wild cat held separately, and three episodes in a pair of Amur leopard cats (F. euptilurus). After the passage of sporulated oocysts through laboratory mice, T. gondii was confirmed in the pair of wild cats (three episodes), in the wild cat held separately (three episodes) and in the pair of Amur leopard cats (one episode). In Jihlava Zoo, one episode of shedding of T. gondii oocyst was identified in Geoffroy's cat (Oncifelis geoffroyi) using flotation and isolation examination. The possible sources of toxoplasmosis of the Felidae in zoos are discussed.

Two 6-yr-old male sibling Amur leopards (Panthera pardus orientalis) housed together at the Pittsburgh Zoo presented for acute onset of diarrhea with no changes in appetite or behavior. Heat-fixed modified Wright-stained and Gram-stained fecal smears revealed a mixed bacterial population with a large number of gram-positive Clostridium perfringens-like spores (>20 per high-power oil immersion field). In addition, C. perfringens enterotoxin was isolated from one leopard at 1:256, confirming the presence of C. perfringens enterotoxicosis. Treatment with oral metronidazole, tylosin tartrate, and psyllium fiber was prescribed, with return of more normal stool by the third day of treatment. Fecal consistency steadily improved and was considered normal by the time all prescribed treatments were complete. Diarrhea has not recurred. Partially thawed meat in the leopards' diet may have precipitated the production of an endogenous clostridial enterotoxicosis by disrupting digestive tract flora with resultant clostridial overgrowth and sporulation.

Numbers of most rare subspecies of leopards held in captivity increased during 1983. Persian leopards increased by 19% during 1983, Chinese leopards by 14%, and Ceylon leopards by 57%. Only Amur leopards experienced a decline (7%) during this period, a situation caused primarily by the loss of several aged, wildborn males held in Russian zoos. The number of ancestors (founders) of the four subspecies' captive populations continues to be small, but several new founders have been acquired and should produce young during 1984. The disappearance of animals after transfer to animal dealers, primarily in Europe, continues to plagus these studbooks, a situation caused by the inability of zoos to absorb all the surplus offspring and the lack of cooperation from several animal dealers. Die Anzahl individuen der meisten Unterarten seltener Leoparden in Menschenobhut erhohte sich im Jahre 1983. Die Zunahme betrug fur den nordpersischen Leoparden 19%, fur den chinesischen Leoparden 14% und fur den ceylon-Leoparden 57%. Nur der amur Leopard nahm im dieser Periode um 7% ab, vor allem wegen des Todes einiger alter, mannlicher Wildfange in russischen Zoos. Die Anzahl Vorfahren (Grundermitglieder) der vier Unterarten in Menschenobhut bleibt klein. Einige neue Grundermitglieder, die sich voraussichtlich 1984 fortpflanzen werden, konnten aufgenommen werden. Ungenauigkeiten im Zuchtbuch entstehen durch Verschwinden mehrer Exemplare nach Abgabe vor allem an europaische Tierhandler: Diese Situation wird verursacht durch Platzmangel in anerkannten Zoos und fehlende Kooperations-bereitschaft einiger Tierhandler.

The Hunchun National Nature Reserve (HNNR) serves as core habitat for both Amur tiger (Pan- thera tigris altaica) and Amur leopard (Panthera pardus orientalis) in Northeast China. To investigate the relative abundance of wildlife and human disturbance within the reserve, we analyzed images from a moni- toring network of 83 camera traps deployed between April and June of 2013 in HNNR. Among the 6,060 to- tal trap nights, 18 species of mammals were detected from the images, including four Mustelids, three Felids, two species each from Canidae, Cervidae and Sciuridae, and one species each from Suidae, Ursidae, Mos- chidae, Erinaceidae and Leporidae, respectively. Cameras photographed 11 tigers and 13 leopards. Relative abundance index (RAI) of tigers (0.84) was higher than that of leopards (0.48). RAIs of ungulates, from high to low, were sika deer (Cervus nippon) (2.18), Siberian roe deer (Capreolus pygargus) (1.53) and wild boar (Sus scrofa) (0.92). RAI of human activities (40.64) and livestock grazing (2.76) were both significantly higher than animal species. The data also indicated that tigers and sika deer were mainly restricted to the core zone of HNNR and that their abundance was lower in the community-based natural resource management

Background There are three main dietary groups in mammals: carnivores, omnivores, and herbivores. Currently, there is limited comparative genomics insight into the evolution of dietary specializations in mammals. Due to recent advances in sequencing technologies, we were able to perform in-depth whole genome analyses of representatives of these three dietary groups. Results We investigated the evolution of carnivory by comparing 18 representative genomes from across Mammalia with carnivorous, omnivorous, and herbivorous dietary specializations, focusing on Felidae (domestic cat, tiger, lion, cheetah, and leopard), Hominidae, and Bovidae genomes. We generated a new high-quality leopard genome assembly, as well as two wild Amur leopard whole genomes. In addition to a clear contraction in gene families for starch and sucrose metabolism, the carnivore genomes showed evidence of shared evolutionary adaptations in genes associated with diet, muscle strength, agility, and other traits responsible for successful hunting and meat consumption. Additionally, an analysis of highly conserved regions at the family level revealed molecular signatures of dietary adaptation in each of Felidae, Hominidae, and Bovidae. However, unlike carnivores, omnivores and herbivores showed fewer shared adaptive signatures, indicating that carnivores are under strong selective pressure related to diet. Finally, felids showed recent reductions in genetic diversity associated with decreased population sizes, which may be due to the inflexible nature of their strict diet, highlighting their vulnerability and critical conservation status. Conclusions Our study provides a large-scale family level comparative genomic analysis to address genomic changes associated with dietary specialization. Our genomic analyses also provide useful resources for diet-related genetic and health research. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s13059-016-1071-4) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.