Leopards: The Stunning Big Cat

It is a rare occurrence to see a leopard in the wild. They are shy creatures, and are able to blend in well with their surroundings. When I visited Africa, I was lucky enough to see this beautiful cat twice in its native habitat. Since then, I have become fascinated with this feline, often considered the most stunning of all of the big cats.

The secretive leopard is found throughout Asia and Africa, though different subspecies live in different regions and habitats. They live in a variety of environments, including forests, mountains, grasslands, and deserts. Leopards most often spend the day sleeping in a tree in order to spend their nights hunting. They are strong swimmers, and many leopards readily enjoy the water. They are also very good climbers, and in fact leopards often store their prey in trees to prevent it being stolen by hyenas or lions. Leopards are excellent hunters, able to pull down prey larger than they are. Its main diet consists of gazelles, deer, and wildebeest, but it may also dine on smaller creatures such as warthogs, monkeys, birds, rodents, fish, and crabs.

Leopards are solitary creatures, and only come together long enough to mate. The father has no part in raising his offspring. According to the African Wildlife Foundation, cubs can be born at any time of the year, and there are usually two or three cubs to a litter. They live with their mother for approximately two years.

Leopards are known for their beautiful coat, which varies from light yellow to brown with a spot pattern all over the body. These black splotches are called rosettes. Black leopards, which are also known as black panthers, are melanistic leopards. Though they may appear to be a solid black, faint outlines of darker rosettes can be seen in black panthers' coats. These leopards are most frequently found in forest habitats, where they blend in well with the shadows. The adult size of leopards varies greatly, at anywhere between three and six feet in length. They can also weigh anywhere between eighty and two hundred pounds. In the wild, leopards can live for up to twenty years. (National Geographic)

Sadly, leopards are an endangered species. They are poached for their beautiful fur, which is then sold illegally to make things such as fur coats. Also, humans have started to encroach on the leopard's territory, limiting their ability to hunt. There have been clashes between humans and leopards, but because leopards are nocturnal these are relatively rare.

African Wildlife Foundation: http://www.awf.org/content/wildlife/detail/leopard

National Geographic: http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/mammals/leopard.html