Scientists in north-east China have captured an extraordinarily rare glimpse at one of the world's most endangered species.

Infra-red cameras set up by conservationists captured footage of the seldom-seen Amur Leopard at the Wangqing Nature Reserve in the country's Jilin Province.

The Russian native big cats have been classed as critically endangered since 1996, their natural forest habitats being destroyed by logging.

There are thought to be fewer than 40 left in the wild, which makes any siting extremely important.

The leopards' habitats make them notoriously difficult to track down.