Russia is home to both big and small wild cats. The wild cats of Russia include the Amur tiger, Amur leopard (Far Eastern leopard), Eurasian lynx, Pallas’s cat, and the Leopard cat.
More About Russia
Russia covers a large expanse of land across Europe and Asia that is a combination of coastline, plains, lowlands, plateaus, and mountainous regions. Most of the country is closer to the North Pole than the equator. It is bordered by Norway, Finland, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Belarus, Ukraine, Georgia, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Mongolia, the People’s Republic of China and North Korea along with three oceans (Atlantic, Pacific and Arctic) and 13 seas. Russia’s climate is mostly cool to extreme cold.
Russian Wild Cat Species
Amur tigers (Siberian tigers) inhabit Russia’s Far East and Northeast China. They are an endangered species.
The Far Eastern (Amur) Leopard can be found in the Primorye region of southeastern Russia and northern China. is the only leopard that can survive in the snow. The cat’s fur is a light cream color with rose-looking spots (rosettes). The Amur leopard is Critically Endangered.
The Eurasian lynx is a small wild cat. Its conservation status is Least Concern. That cat has long legs and black-tufted ears.
The Pallas’s cat (manul) is a small wild cat that lives near the Russian-Mongolian board, and grassland and mountain steppes. The cat is the size of a domestic cat with a stocky appearance.
Russian snow leopards live in Southern Siberia and usually inhabit mountain regions.
The leopard cat is a small wild cat that inhabits the Amur region in the Russian Far East all the way to the Korean Peninsula, China and Pakistan. It prefers living near rivers, valleys and ravines, and tries to avoid areas with snow.
Interested in wild cats in Russia? Leave a comment below.
Russian Wild Cat Conservation Organizations
Wild cat organizations, universities and government agencies based or working in Russia to protect native big cats and small wild cats.
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I once saw a TV show about Siberian snow leopards that were nearly extinct. They said that their native name was Keesia, or something similar. I am looking for someone who can verify or clarify that for me. At the time I said I would name my next cat with that word. I now have a one-eyed tuxedo cat named Keesia, but I’m not certain that I got it correct.
Russia is also bordered by the USA…
Hello there. I am studying at University of Plymouth (UK) and my team have decided to base our oral presentation on the Wild cats of Russia. We were wondering if you could help us at all with our research?