Although leopards are the most common large cats in Africa, they are the most difficult to see there. Why do you think that is?
They are rather shy and secretive, and they are mostly nocturnal.
Leopards are often seen in trees. A common way to look for leopards is to scan the treetops on the horizon with a pair of binoculars.
They are the strongest pound-for-pound climber of the large cats. They can often be seen draped over the branch of a tree. They do this because it is cool.
They also feast on their prey in the trees. They can bring meals that weigh up to 50 pounds up into trees, and they can feed off of an animal for up to four days. They don’t have to dine and dash like the cheetahs. Actually, they often steal kills from cheetahs.
Leopards have a very wide diet. Most commonly, they eat impala, zebra, wildebeest, warthog and porcupine, but they also eat a huge variety of reptiles, birds, fish and mammals.
They also eat predators, such as jackals. They don’t eat the guts of an animal, though.
Although solitary, and with marked territories, leopards overlap each others’ territories in a sort of time-sharing system.
To mark their territory, they use their urine and faeces, their claw marks on trees, and vocal signals.
Their contact call has a distinctive sound. It sounds to some like a wood saw. Males avoid each others’ calls, but females can find males by their calls.
Leopards are listed as near threatened on the endangered species list.
A free leopard documentary
Leopards: Interesting Facts About the Species
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