Leopard (Panthera pardus)

A rarely spotted predator, elegant and powerfully built with a beautifully marked coat.Overall body colour varies  from off white  to orange  russet with black  spots on the legs, flanks, hindquarters and the head. The  spots  over the rest of the body consist of rossetes or broken circles of  irregular black spots.

The tail is about  half of the total length. Cubs have dark, wolly coats and less distinct spotting. Leopards are solitary with exception of pairs coming together for mating and when its babies are too young to take care of themselves.

As soon as the young leopard is able to hunt by itself, it is left alone by its mother. They hunt in the night and spends most of its day up in a tree where they can be hard to spot. The leopard preys upon smaller predators, antelopes, monkeys, cattle, dogs and goats.

It is a remarkable climber, and can drag an animal up a tree even if the animal is heavier than the leopard itself.