According to the WWF a Russian hunter in the far-east of the country has shot and killed a rare Amur leopard, one of only around 30 left in the wild.

The hunter shot the female in the back in mid-April and finished it off by hitting it repeatedly over the head with a heavy object. The incident occurred in the Barsovy national park near the Chinese border, and was the third such incident in the area in the past five years, WWF reported.

There are between 25 and 34 of these leopards living in three nature reserves along the Amur river, Russian/U.S. researchers say.

Poachers can sell a dead Amur leopard for up to $37 000. If caught, they risk a fine of just $800, according to Russia’s ecological watchdog Rosprirodnadzor.

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