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Leopards of the Kruger

Most likely one of Kruger's most elusive & yet most sought after, three majestic cat specimens is the leopard. Male leopards frequently measures in excess of eighty cm in height, from the ground to the tip of the shoulder level & weighs between twenty to ninety kilograms. Females are far smaller, weighing from seventeen to slightly over 60 kg's. South African leopards are smaller than it's lion cousins yet far stockier than a cheetah.
The leopard is spotted with dark rounded paw patches named (rosettes). In contrast to the lighter background fur, these markings provide fantastic camouflage in the dense foliage.






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Fast Facts

The leopard is capable of running a little over sixty kilometers per hour for a short time. A leopard has the a jump more 6 meters across, and over 3 m directly upwards. A leopard can be a very powerful swimmer. This great cat is the smallest cat within the four "great cats" and more closely looks like its cousin the Jaguar.

What do Leopards Eat?

Out in the wild Leopards, like other meat eaters would gorge feed themselves. Once making a kill, leopards would devour as much food as it possibly can.

The purpose of this is that Leopards could easily lose their carcus to a bigger predator or, may be unable to make another kill in the immediate future.

An extraordinary fact is that wild leopards are one of the very few wild animals (other than man) that will kill for fun

It is not out of the ordinary to see trees with multiple carcasses hanging in the canopy. Even though a leopard may have more than enough food in its stomach, they cannot resist the instinct to pounce on vulnerable prey.

Frequently leopards are mostly considered "opportunistic" animals and have an extraordinary adaptable diet.

Leopards carry killed prey up into trees. Leopards have been known to pull double their body weight over 10meters directly up the trunk of a tree , using only their mouth to hold the prey.

Just, try to imagine dragging 2 humans, your same body mass into a tree holding them only with your jaw muscles.

They will feed on protein in nearly any form. Ranging from reptiles and beetles to antelopes twice the leopards mass. Leopards readily feeds on any carcasses of a dead animals that it may find and is able to cache bigger game kills in trees, returning at night to feed on them.

The Leopards main diets comprise of more than thirty different game species including (not limited to): mid sized antelope like Thomson's Gazelle, Reedbuck, Impalas, and the young and weak of bigger animals (hartebeest, wildebeest, zebra) as the dominant food sources, rabbits, bird life, baboons and small carnivorous animals is also part of the food chain.

Habitats of African Leopards

Leopards are truly incredible animals, with the ability to adapt to nearly every area which can provide it with enough prey and shelter.

There was a time when leopards were dispersed & would be located in a vast range of places.

Currently in Africa the human pressures have drastically down scaled the populations & in many areas, these great cats are on the border of extinction.

Leopards are a highly animals, being found in all terrains such as forests, open savannas, , bush & semi desert. Comfortable on rocky cliffs, swamps and tropical forests.

Reproduction

Leopards are capable of breeding between 2 and 3 years, and produce 1 - 3 cubs after a 90-100 day gestation. The cubs become independent between 13 - 18 months, and siblings may remain together for several months before separating. Females in captivity have produced offspring as old as 19 years, but the average age of last reproduction is 8.5 years.

In captivity, leopards have lived over 23 years, as compared to 10 - 11 in the wild.

Leopards are solitary cats, and use the same methods as the other cats for defining their territory: scent marking, feces, and scratch marks.


The South African R200.00 With Image of a Leopard

The South African bank note carries a picture of an African spotted leopard. This currency denomination is the highest denomination note issued by the Southern African Reserve.

See The Most Amazing Leopard Attack On Camera

The Big Cat's

Big cat include only the 4 species of the genus Panthera:

  • Lion
  • Tiger
  • Leopard
  • Jaguar

Members of this group are one of the few cats that are able to vocalize a roar. Vocalization of a roar is a identifying trait of big cats. Offspring of the great cats are named "cubs" whereas the young of the smaller cats are referred kittens.



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