Photo by me

In my ELA class, I wrote an endangered animal story. I wrote mine on the Amur Leopard. A couple of months ago, my class read a book called Squirm by Carl Hiaasen. It was about a boy named Billy who likes snakes. He tries to find his dad who lives somewhere else. He and his dad go track down a poacher to try to stop him from poaching animals. My class worked with Peg Gignoux to create endangered animal stories. We started by making all the background. We glued and painted pieces of paper with different colors and shapes using tools. Afterward, we chose a different paper to rip, cut, and tear apart to create something else. I chose a green piece of paper to create leaves and a brown piece of paper to create trees. After laying out everything, I glued them together on my book to create a background. On our iPads, my ELA class wrote an endangered animal story from the animal’s point of view and how they see the world. I wrote about how the Amur Leopards are hunted down for their fur and how they are poached. My teacher printed out our stories and glued them to our book. My book was finally done!

Here is my endangered animal story:

I am currently sleeping in the warm glow of the shining sun, which was creeping through the trees and onto my beautiful fur. When suddenly, I hear a crack of a gunshot so close to hitting me that I almost fall out of my tree. My paws tremble as I move around my tree, which was wobbling from side to side. I could feel the bullet piercing the tree I’m on. I can’t hide forever. I quietly creep down, and with all my might, I sprint down from my tree with gunshots cracking every second. I know I am fast, but I still tremble. I feel like they are catching up, so I pick up the pace, and finally! I see a cave big enough for me to squeeze inside where they can’t see me! The forest is a maze to me, helping me survive. I look back, and through the cracks between the trees, I see something pointing at me. My heart flips through me, and I pretend to keep going and make a side turn so fast, they obviously couldn’t see that. I turn and move, finally fitting into the cave.

I pant, gasping for air, when I remember, you’re listening to me! I should probably introduce myself properly. I am trying my best to be positive. Don’t mind. Hello. I am the Amur leopard, and my scientific name is Panthera pardus orientalis. I mostly like to live in the snowy mountains or in trees. As you saw, I like to hunt at night and sleep in the morning, while keeping my food near me because competition is tough to handle! Since I am a skilled animal, I like to eat deer or boar, but mice also work for me. Now, I might have to whisper. Be quiet, please!

As you saw, my species is in danger because of humans poaching us for our beautiful coats. Also, other animals compete with me for food and shelter. That’s why I bring all my food to a tree to rest in. Defending ourselves just makes more people think that we are dangerous. So that’s why I lie low, hiding in trees and under water. Also, a new disease is spreading among other Amur Leopards called the Canine Distemper Virus (CDV). This disease infects the respiratory and intestinal systems. Many have died because of the disease, and sadly, people who are helping us (they call themselves doctors) are trying but cannot find a cure for this disease. The Siberian tiger is a predator to us, too. It is six times our size and very hard to beat. I know that if my animals go extinct, the food web would get destabilized due to an increase in prey species. We help stabilize the population of one prey species.

I do know that some humans are nicer than others and are trying to help my kind. I know that the World Wildlife Fund works with local communities, regional authorities, governments, and other organizations to save the Amur Leopard and ensure the long-term conservation of the region. But I would appreciate it if more and more people could help us (we are on the verge of extinction, only 100 to 300 animals left)! Some actions to help us are stopping the illegal wildlife trade and choosing sustainable, eco-friendly products. Please help us because I know that helping us doesn’t cost much (maybe only twenty-five to two hundred fifty dollars at most).

Please help us! Anything big or small is one step closer to bringing back our kind. Thank you so much for being here for me and listening to me. Crack! Another gunshot rings out. They have found me. “I have to leave now, but I just want to tell you, everything counts in helping bring back the Amur leopards!” I say as I leap up from my hiding spot and sprint past to another tree. I use all my strength to leap up and cling to the tree with all my might. My claws screech against the wood and leave marks all over the tree. I know that I couldn’t stay there for too long, so I jumped down. Jumping down the tree feels like I am in slow-mo. I see the bullet coming towards me. I kick, thrash, do anything to prevent the bullet from coming, but it is of no use. I’m just a second too slow. I feel excruciating pain in my backside, and I run away as fast as my sturdy paws can go. As I hide, I can feel my back is soaked with blood. I can’t catch my breath. It feels like breathing in a roaring fire. I hastily try to stop the bleeding by licking my fur. Another gunshot rings into the air. Despite my aching pain, I manage to run in zigzags and shout to you again, “Please help!” Before I crash face-first into a murky lake with a splash, my fur is drinking in the coolness of the lake. As the water tugs at my paws to keep swimming, I feel like I have run a marathon.