The Leopard (Panthera pardus)

The Leopard or “Mr/Mrs Spots” as some people like to refer to them, is one of the most adaptable predators around and distributed over several continents, including a wide variety of habitats.

Clients often comment to me saying that they have seen most of the ‘Big 5′ game animals in our parks and private reserves during their safari tour but never or very seldom get to see a leopard in the wild.That is true, but why is this? Well. leopards are mainly nocturnal in habit, iow they are more active at night spending the major part of the day in dense undergrowth, coupled with their excellent camouflage and the type of habitat they prefer, makes them quite difficult to see most of the times.

Did you know that a leopard’s prey ranges from rats to fully grown wildebeest, birds, reptiles and even fish. Domestic animals like dogs, cats, goats, sheep and cattle also form part of their diet from time to time. To catch prey, leopard rely on their sight, hearing and smell, all of these senses are very well developed. They may either lie in ambush or stalk their prey and then pounce on it. They are very efficient hunters indeed!!  

Talking of food…ever wondered why leopard hang their prey on trees? Feeding is done predominately in a tree. In this way they safe-guard their prey from other predators such as lions, hyenas and wild hunting dogs. These predators have been known to drive a leopard off its kill in order to obtain the food. A leopard can consume up to 5kg of meat on a daily basis.

A leopard is one of the most beautiful creatures/cats on this planet and often referred to as the “Prince of Cats”. They are graceful and strongly built with short powerful legs and a long tail. Interestingly, the spots on the upper part of the body look like ‘rosettes’ formed by 4-6 individual spots, while single spots are found on the legs. The spots on a cheetah for example are smaller and single.

Ever wondered or heard if a leopard can roar? Definitely not like a lion! They utter coarse grunting sounds and also emit snarls, hisses and growls.

In captivity, leopard have a potential life-span as high as 20 years and considerably less in their natural environment. A leopard is solitary by habit and also territorial. Territories are scent-marked with a spray of urine. 1-3 cubs are born in a secluded spot in dense bush or mountainous areas. Cubs are hidden for a number of weeks before they accompany the mother.   

In spite of its elusiveness where man is concerned, the ‘Prince of Cats’ has not been classified as “dangerous game ” for nothing and must never be underestimated. A leopard is very bold, cunning and courages and will not hesitate to attack viciously should it feel to be in danger, cornered or even wounded. A number of unprovoked attacks on people have been recorded fortunately resulting in very few deaths.

Leopards do sometimes fall prey to lion, hyena and wild dogs (their natural enemies). Venomous snakes, crocodile and pythons can also kill leopard. They can suffer from various illnesses such as cat flu and pneumonia….

The African Lion (Panthera leo)

The African lion, the “King of beasts”  is the largest of cats in Africa varying in colour from pale tawny to dark brown. The adult male has  a thick woolly mane that can vary in colour and length. The African Lion is found mostly distributed south of the Sahara desert and mainly restricted to large savanna type conservation areas. An adult male can grow to a shoulder height of up to 1,2m(47 in) and weigh around 220 – 250kg (500lbs). As carnivores, their food source consists mainly of medium to large mammals which are caught and killed through skilled stalking and ambush. A daily average of 5-7kg of meat is consumed. When charging down it’s prey, lions can reach speeds of up to 80kph (50mph) with most of the hunting conducted during the cooler hours of the day or night.

Did you know that on average 3 cubs are born after a gestation period of about 110 days and lion cubs are born with their eyes closed for the first 7-14 days and are pretty helpless for the first 2-3 weeks of their lives. A lioness is very protective over her litter and will not hesitate to attack an “intruder” venturing too close to her cubs.

When next on a Big Game safari and you are fortunate enough to encounter a pride of lions have a look at the size of the pride and how they interact with each other. You will notice that the ‘core’ of the pride is predominately made up of females/lionesses and their off-spring with one or more adult males/lions around. It’s a known fact that the size of the pride is dictated by prey availability in an area with the females/lionesses doing most of the hunting.

How about this… a lion can grow as old as 15 years in the wild and up to 20 years in captivity. Their roar can be heard up to 8kms(5miles) away. That is pretty awesome !!

Compiled by Sukulu Safaris CC information centre