The tiger has topped the list of the species most under threat form smuggling, poaching and illegal trading according to the latest WWF survey.
Wildlife trade officers have stated that the tiger already faces a number of threats and now with china lifting their ban on the trade of tiger products could spell the end of this beautiful species.
The Amur leopard is celebrated as one of the worlds most beautiful cats, however a recent consensus has found that at most, there are only 34 amur leopards alive today.
The big cats live around the snowy eastern fringe of Siberia where environmentalists believe that logging together with poaching are responsible for the leopard's demise.
The Russian government has taken a number of steps to protect the cats, including the diversion of a planned oil pipeline to avoid the protected region.
A recent change in the Dangerous Wild Animals Act (1976) means certain wildcats could be appearing in local pet shops as the need for a license has been revoked species included are
Scottish wild cat, Pallas cat, Little spotted cat, Geoffrey's cat,
Bay cat, Sand cat, Black footed cat and the rusty-spotted cat.
The change paves the way for an escalation in the breeding of hybrid varieties of cats and raises serious concerns about the illegal trade of wild and, in some cases Endangered species. Like all large African animals, Lions are only safe in National parks, Outside they are vulnerable to the rapid increases in the human population, Some are killed by local farmers protecting live stock, others are still killed for sport when they venture beyond the safe boundaries of the parks.
Sadly, the reality is that soon the only place to see big cats will be on display in wildlife parks and zoological gardens.
Many of these institutes are involved in breeding programs to fight to maintain these endangered species.
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