If anyone had asked me what my favourite animal was, I would have said a tiger. That was until we visited the park. Now, if anyone asks me that question, the answer will be the Amur Leopard.

The Amur Leopard is on the verge of extinction thanks to the continued destruction of its habitat and poaching. It’s thought there are only about 35 of them in the wild and there aren’t many in captivity, so the opportunity to see one of these magnificent cats is rare.

And it is a beautiful animal. Like most big cats, it was taking a nap when we got there, but was considerate enough to raise its head and yawn for us. Fantastic.

The World Wild Life Fund include the Amur Leopard as one of the animals you can sponsor and the Yorkshire Wildlife Park are helping out as well. Not only have they built a brilliant enclosure for them, they have managed to acquire a female and hope to start a breeding programme which will help boost the numbers both in captivity and in the wild.

Overall, the park was okay, (there is a wildlife park in the lake district that is probably better) but to see the way they look after these animals, and to see the conservation work they are involved in, makes the park a worthy place to visit, especially if it means there are Amur Leopards for future generations to enjoy.