Leopard

The African leopard is a beautiful cat, but it is the most elusive of all members of the big and little five. With a golden coat marked with black spots or rosettes, the leopard is a master of disguise and can slink into the shadows or the long grass and disappear from view. This also makes the leopard a fantastic hunter, who is skilled in ambush and is strong enough to pull most of their prey right up into the tall trees. Leopards are right at home in the treetops and spend much of their day resting up in the cool canopy.

DID YOU KNOW?

One Big Feline Family

The leopard is in the Panthera genus - which it shares with lions, tigers, jaguars and snow leopards.

Cat Around the World

There are several sub-species of leopard that can be found around the world: from Africa, the Middle East, Asia and even parts of Europe.

Leopards Out West

In South Africa, we also get the savannah leopard and a Cape leopard. Despite being the same species, the Cape leopard is about half the size and weight of a Savannah leopard and is found mostly in the Northern and Western Cape.

A Diverse Diet

Leopards are not fussy eaters. They are hugely opportunistic and will eat anything they can catch, including birds, bugs, reptiles, fish, baboons, porcupines, aardvarks, antelope, young zebra and more!

photo of a leopard lying in a treetop, looking at the camera

Leopards are skilled climbers and can spend hours in the treetops

photo of a leopard sitting on a termite mound

Leopards can easily blend into their environment, making them skilled hunters.

photo of a leopard in a tree at night time

Leopards are mostly nocturnal, meaning they operate at night

photo of a leopard lying in a treetop, looking at the camera

Leopards are skilled climbers and can spend hours in the treetops

1/4

Leopard Conservation

The leopard is probably the most threatened big cat on Earth. It is extinct in 13 regions (and suspected to be extinct in seven more). Leopards have vanished from at least two-thirds of their historic range in Africa and nearly 85% percent of their historic range in Europe and Asia. Their biggest threat is habitat loss, as well as conflict with humans. There are various initiatives to help the struggling populations left in the world. Here are some of them:

Cape Leopard Trust

Panthera

Leopard Conservation Project