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| The leopard. |
The
leopard is one of the hardest animals to spot on a safari in Africa! They are one
of the 3 big cats found in South Africa. Being solitary and secretive big cats they
generally go out of their way to avoid one another as well as people.
Leopards
are smaller than Africa’s lions and cheetahs, with short legs and a long body
with a large skull. Their pale yellow to deep gold fur is marked with rosettes,
making them well camouflaged in an African setting. The rosettes are circular
in East African leopards but square in Southern African leopards, and are
called rosettes because they are similar to the shape of roses.
They can
run in bursts up to 58 kilometres per hour (36 mph), and climb a tree as high
as 15 metres (50 feet). These strikingly beautiful cats can leap 6 metres (20
feet) forward and jump 3 metres (10 feet) up.
Habitat
Leopards
live in the thick forests of West Africa to the plateaus of Ethiopia, but they
prefer thick bush and grassland with trees. They can adapt to life in
woodlands, mountain coastal scrub or semi desert areas. These cats are found throughout
the savannah's of South Africa. They call various types of landscapes home but
as long as they are near some water and trees. Leopards live in more places
than any other big cat although they are the rarest of the cats to see.
Behaviour
When they
are not in hunting mode, they walk through herds of antelopes with their tail
over their back to reveal a white underside, which gives the signal that they
are not out to capture food.
Leopards do
not roar, but make a somewhat distinctive deep and raspy sound to warn off
other leopards in the area or to communicate with a potential mate. Just like
your pet cat, they purr when happy and growl when angry.
Diet
They eat fish, reptiles,
birds and mammals such as wild hares, warthogs, monkeys, baboons, zebras and
bucks such as impala's and antelopes.
Leopards are mostly nocturnal, preferring to hunt at night
and rest during the day in branches of trees. They are opportunistic hunters
and will stalk their prey from trees or in long grass. After capturing their prey
they will usually haul them up into the safety of a trees branches out of grasp
from being stolen by scavengers.
Reproduction
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| A cute leopard cub. |
A female
leopard is called a leopardess much like a female lion is call a lioness. Female
leopards can give birth at any time of the year after carrying their cubs up to
106 days. They will usually have 2 greyish in colour cubs with barely noticeable
spots. Cubs are born blind then begin to see from 10 days old, and their eyes
remain a bright blue for a few months after they are born.
Her cubs will live
with her for about 2 years before setting off on their own. Leopardesses will
hide her cubs in safe locations and move them from one safe haven to another
until they are old enough to play in the open and learn to hunt.
Did you
know?
Leopards
are not only strong climbers but they are also superb swimmers.
A leopard
can hear up to 5 times better than a human.
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