10 Surprising Facts About Leopards
Leopards are beautiful, powerful big cats that inhabit many parts of Africa and Asia. Pound for pound, they are the strongest of all the wild cats.
Leopards have incredible strength and agility - they can run up to 58km/h, and can jump 6m horizontally! They’re also masters at using animal instinct to keep themselves safe.
1. They’re nocturnal
Like most of the other big cats, leopards are nocturnal hunters. They use their powerful night vision to stalk prey and then pounce, taking it down with a swift bite to the neck.
They’re not picky eaters and will eat just about anything they can overpower. This includes antelopes, gazelles, small mammals and even birds. They’re also excellent climbers and often store their kills high up in trees so that scavengers can’t get to them.
The spots on a leopard’s fur provide camouflage, helping them blend in with their surroundings. But leopards can also be spotted in black, thanks to a genetic mutation called melanism (the opposite of albinism). This variation is most common in females.
2. They’re great swimmers
Leopards can swim easily and have been seen catching fish and crabs. They can also hold their breath underwater for up to two minutes.
Their spots, known as rosettes, help them blend in with their surroundings, protecting them from both prey and predators. They can hide behind bushes and trees, stalk animals like deer, and kill them with one bite to the throat.
They’re also excellent climbers, able to scale trees up to 50 feet (15 meters) high. Leopards often stash their kills up high so other predators like lions and hyenas can’t steal them.
Though they rarely eat humans, leopards can become man-eaters if they’re desperate for food or feel threatened by livestock farmers. They’re also targeted by poachers for their fur and body parts, which are used in medicine in some cultures. Sadly, they only occupy a quarter of their historical range.
3. They’re great hunters
Leopards are among the most effective hunters of all big cats. They can stalk prey silently and with precision, and are also skilled climbers. Their long, slender legs allow them to slip between bushes undetected, and they can rest high in trees when they’re not hunting. Leopards also eat a wide range of animals, including rodents, birds, lizards, porcupines, warthogs, and even fish! This flexibility allows them to survive in many habitat types, and avoid conflicts with other predators.
Pound for pound, leopards are the strongest climbers of all big cats, and they use their strong shoulders to drag carcasses up into trees – especially if they’re afraid of losing their kill to other predators like lions or hyenas. They’ll also store food in trees to keep it safe from scavengers, and as an escape route if their territory is threatened.
4. They’re solitary
Leopards are solitary animals, meaning they spend their time hunting and resting alone. They defend their territory – from one to 12 square miles – using urine scent marks, poop and claw scratches on trees. They will only cross each other’s territories during mating season, and even then only for a short period of time.
These big cats are opportunistic hunters and can take on anything from small prey like birds and monkeys to larger creatures like antelope, gazelles, deer and giraffes. They’re also great climbers and often use trees to escape from predators or keep their kills out of reach from scavengers.
Female leopards raise their cubs until they’re two years old. Then, they’ll find a mate and start the cycle all over again. This is the same way lions, jaguars and tigers operate as well.
5. They’re not man-eaters
Unlike lions and tigers, leopards do not typically become man-eaters. However, they are opportunistic feeders and, in rare instances, may scavenge on dead bodies. If they do this enough times, it’s possible that they start to consider humans as part of their natural prey base.
Mother leopards are very attentive toward their cubs and do not allow them to wander far from home. The cubs are weaned when they’re about eight weeks old and stay with their mothers until they’re two years old.
As a result, leopards are fairly comfortable around human settlements and can be bolder than some other predators when hunting. This can lead to incidents of man-eating, like in Mandi district, Himachal Pradesh, which is infamous for its long history of such attacks.
6. They’re incredibly intelligent
The leopard is a formidable predator that can easily kill larger prey like deer or gazelles with a single swipe of its paw. It can also carry carcasses up into trees, where scavengers like hyenas cannot steal them.
These magnificent cats use a variety of sounds to communicate with each other and their environment. When agitated, they will make raspy cough-like sounds and growl. They can even imitate lions and jaguars’ roaring patterns to scare off rivals.
Leopards are incredibly adaptable and can be found in many different habitats, from the desert to the jungle and even snow-covered mountains. However, their numbers are dwindling in the wild due to habitat loss and climate change. Many leopards have been hunted for their fur and various body parts, which are used in traditional medicine. There are currently fewer than 7,500 leopards in the world.
7. They’re social
Leopards are a very adaptable species and can thrive in a wide range of environments. Their nimble frames and graceful movements belie an explosive strength that they can summon if necessary. Each leopard has a unique rosette pattern and coat colour, and they can look equally at home draped over the branches of a marula tree or surveying the area from a termite mound.
They’re very good climbers and often store their kills high in trees to prevent lions or hyenas from stealing them. But they also care for their own, and this is clearly evident in the way one female leopard took it upon herself to groom and cuddle a baby baboon whose mother had recently died. A truly heartwarming sight! Leopards use their scent to mark their territory. They leave a trail by rubbing their cheeks against something, spraying their scent with their paws, or scraping the ground with their claws.
8. They’re incredibly intelligent
Leopards have an internal GPS system that allows them to navigate, even if they’re far from home. They can travel up to 66 miles from their territory and still find their way back!
Their spots come together in a dark ring-like pattern called rosettes, which camouflages them against their surroundings. They can also communicate with other leopards using meows, purrs, growls, and a noise that sounds like sawing wood.
They have to compete for food with African wild dogs, bears, cheetahs, and hyenas throughout their natural habitat. However, despite these risks, they don’t usually eat humans. But they will occasionally scavenge from carcasses and can become attracted to human flesh if given the chance. This is why it’s so important to protect leopards! The worst thing we can do is kill them for their fur or skin.
9. They’re incredibly intelligent
Leopards can be found in a wide range of habitats and are one of the most adaptable big cats. They’re also known for their camouflage, which helps them blend in with their surroundings. Their groups of spots (known as rosettes) resemble flower shapes and provide excellent camouflage against the leaves of plants and trees.
Leopards stalk their prey until they’re close – usually within 10 meters – and then pounce! They kill larger animals by biting them in the neck, and smaller prey gets a fatal blow from their paws.
While other big cats, like lions, roam together, leopards are solitary and mark their territories with urine, feces, and scratches. They’re great athletes and can run in bursts up to 36 mph and jump ten feet (3 meters) straight up. Their tails serve as an additional limb, helping them move swiftly and climb. They can even use it to communicate, barking or growling at other leopards.
10. They’re incredibly intelligent
Leopards have an uncanny ability to visualize and mentally plan each step of their climb up a tree with a dead prey (twice their bodyweight!) in their mouths. They stash their food up high so other predators such as lions and hyenas can’t get it.
They are incredibly agile and fast, able to run up to 58 km/h and jump 3 meters vertically and 6 meters horizontally – that’s more than a giraffe’s neck stretched out! They are also great swimmers and often cross large bodies of water.
Leopards are solitary and territorial animals, preferring to roam one specific area away from other predators. To mark their territory they use urine and scratch their claws on tree barks. They also make a variety of sounds including a contented purr, a raspy cough and a deep growl.
