Not many people ever see an Amur leopard in the wild. Not surprising, as there are so few of them, but a shame considering how beautiful they are. Thick, luscious, black-ringed coats and a huge furry tails they can wrap around themselves to keep warm.

The good news is, having been driven to the edge of extinction, their numbers appear to be rising thanks to conservation work - we're also able to survey more areas than before and use camera traps to estimate population changes.

The Amur leopard is a nocturnal animal that lives and hunts alone – mainly in the vast forests of Russia and China. During the harsh winter, the hairs of that unique coat can grow up to 7cm long.

Over the years the Amur leopard hasn't just been hunted mercilessly, its homelands have been gradually destroyed by unsustainable logging, forest fires, road building, farming, and industrial development.

But recent research shows conservation work is having a positive effect, and wild Amur leopard numbers are believed to have increased, though there are still only around 90 adults in the wild, in Russia and north-east China.