West Brighton on Staten Island in Richmond County, New York — The American Northeast (Mid-Atlantic)
Vanishing Cats
Critically Endangered
A full school bus has twice as many children as there are Amur leopards left in the wild.
Habitat loss. Due to human encroachment and economic development, the leopard's territory has been reduced by 80% over the last 25 years.
Prey scarcity. As the leopard's territory shrinks so does the food supply. Leopards need large amounts of meat to survive and are in constant competition with the Amur tiger, Panthera tigris altaica, for prey.
Poaching and illegal trade. The Amur tiger has been hunted for its coat and bones for hundreds of years. Leopard bones and other body parts are still used in traditional Chinese medicine.
Conflict with humans. Prey animals such as roe deer, Capreolus capreolus and sika deer, Cervus nippon are shrinking in numbers forcing the Amur leopard to concentrate on domestic livestock causing more friction between leopards and people.
What can You do?
The Staten Island Zoo contributes to conservation programs in the Russian Far East to preserve existing leopard populations while helping to manage leopard populations throughout the United States. The purchase of your admission today will help the Zoo continue to participate in these programs. Thank You!
this page online
Erected by Staten Island Zoological Society.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Animals • Anthropology & Archaeology • Environment • Industry & Commerce • Science & Medicine.
Location. 40° 37.494′ N, 74° 6.919′ W. Marker is on Staten Island, New York, in Richmond County. It is in West Brighton. Marker can be reached from Clove Road west of Glenwood Place, on the right when traveling west. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 614 Broadway, Staten Island NY 10310, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. North American River Otters (within shouting distance of this marker); Dr. Patricia O'Connor Halloran (within shouting distance of this marker); Woodchuck, a.k.a. Groundhog (within shouting distance of this marker); Powered by the Sun (within shouting distance of this marker); Arctic Fox / Red Fox (within shouting distance of this marker); Bald Eagle (within shouting distance of this marker); Ducks (within shouting distance of this marker); Cape Barren Goose (within shouting distance of this marker). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Staten Island.
Credits. This page was last revised on November 30, 2023. It was originally submitted on March 15, 2022, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia. This page has been viewed 78 times since then and 4 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on March 15, 2022, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia.
