The census, taken with camera traps spread out over more than 900,000 acres of primary leopard habitat, collected around ten thousand photographs that scientists used to identify nearly 60 individual animals. Credit: WWF-Russia / ISUNR At least 57 Amur leopards now exist in Russia's Land of the Leopard National Park, up from just 30 cats counted in 2007, according to new census data announced last week. An additional 8-12 leopards were counted in adjacent areas of China, meaning the number of Amur leopards, a rare subspecies considered the world's rarest wild cat, has more than doubled over the past seven years. 
 
 The census, taken with camera traps spread out over more than 900,000 acres of primary leopard habitat, collected around ten thousand photographs that scientists used to identify nearly 60 individual animals. Individuals are determined by distinctive patterns of spots found on leopard fur. The census was carried out by the Land of the Leopard National Park jointly with the Far Eastern Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences with the support of The Amur Leopard Center and WWF-Russia. 
 
 "Despite still being on the brink of extinction, the Amur leopard is showing encouraging signs of gradual recovery, demonstrating that dedicated conservation efforts do pay off. The collaboration between Russia and China to protect vast areas of suitable leopard habitat is the next key step to protect this species," said Carlos Drews, director of WWF´s global species programme. 
 
 Land of the Leopard National Park, which includes all of the Amur leopard's known breeding areas, was hailed as a lifeline to the critically endangered Amur leopard when established in 2012. The park is also home to the endangered Amur tiger. 
 
 According to Yury Darman, head of WWF Russia Amur Branch and a member of the Supervisory Board of The Amur Leopards Center, "The national park became the main organizational force for leopard protection and research." 
 
 Conservationists are working toward monitoring leopard populations across the border in neighboring Chinese nature reserves. One of the highly anticipated next steps would be the establishment of a Sino-Russian transboundary nature reserve. 
 
 Explore further: Update on census of world's most endangered cat -- Female Amur leopard found dead 

 “Such a strong rebound in Amur leopard numbers is further proof that even the most critically endangered big cats can recover if we protect their habitat and work together on conservation efforts” 
 
 In an amazing tale of recovery, Amur leopard populations have more than doubled in just seven years. New census data reveals Amur leopards in Russia’s Land of the Leopard National Park now number at least 57 cats (up from just 30 cats in 2007). And an additional 8-12 leopards were counted in adjacent areas of China. 
 
 For the census, camera traps were spread out over more than 900,000 acres of leopard habitat. Scientists then reviewed 10,000 images and identified nearly 60 individual animals, judging by the distinctive pattern of spots on the leopards’ fur. The census was carried out by the Land of the Leopard National Park jointly with the Far Eastern Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, with the support of The Amur Leopard Center and WWF-Russia. 
 
 Established in 2012, Land of the Leopard National Park includes all of the Amur leopard’s known breeding areas and about 60 percent of the critically endangered cat’s remaining habitat. "The national park became the main organizational force for leopard protection and research,” said Yury Darman, head of WWF Russia Amur Branch and a member of the Supervisory Board of The Amur Leopards Center.
– It's what the WWF is hailing as an "amazing tale of recovery," but the numbers involved are still pretty small: The Amur leopard, dubbed the rarest cat on planet Earth, has doubled its numbers over the past seven years, but as Phys.org reports, there are now just fewer than 70 of them in the wild—up from 30 in 2007. A survey of some 10,000 photos from camera traps in Russia’s Land of the Leopard National Park counted 57 of the kitties (their spot patterns are distinctive); an additional eight to 12 were seen nearby in neighboring China. The park, which contains all the Amur leopard's known breeding areas, is "the main organizational force for leopard protection and research," says a WWF official. It was established in 2012. "Such a strong rebound in Amur leopard numbers is further proof that even the most critically endangered big cats can recover if we protect their habitat and work together on conservation efforts," says another WWF official. The park is also home to the Amur tiger, which is also endangered. (Meanwhile, Yosemite National Park recently spotted one of the "rarest mammals in North America.")