In the face of changing land-use, decreasing prey and human persecution, the leopard has persisted where other large predators have not. Found wherever there is food and cover, it quenches its thirst with moisture from ingested prey. Not a fussy eater, it tolerates human presence well. Keen of sight and hearing, the leopard is comfortable both in water and on trees. Yet, it is not invulnerable. In parts of its range, populations have plummeted by 80% or more.
Stocking up
The leopard has the practice of heaving its kill up into the limbs of a tree for undisturbed feeding. Assisted by powerful limb, neck and jaw muscles, it can easily drag a carcass that weighs more than itself! Leopards are known to cache food in trees or under thick vegetation and will not stop hunting despite having multiple carcasses stowed away. This is especially so where competitors like hyenas or lions are present and more commonly seen in males than females.
Blending in
Their coat colour ranges from tawny in warm, dry habitats to reddish-orange, even black in dense forests. Leopards with a black coat are commonly referred to as `black panthers’. Like other leopards, they have a spotted coat although their distinctive black rosette markings are much less visible on a black coat. Leopards in East Africa sport circular rosettes while those in South Africa have squarish ones. Cubs are ash-grey with indistinct rosettes. Solid black spots cover a leopard’s chest, feet, and face. Each leopard has a unique coat pattern.
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Human-leopard conflict
In many sub-Saharan countries, farmers are allowed to kill predators threatening life and property. Livestock is easy pickings for leopards and injured leopards may even prey on humans. Conflict with humans often ends in retaliatory killings and this may be the greatest cause of leopard decline.
The IUCN Status
VU
Vulnerable
At high risk of extinction in the wild
The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species
The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species is widely recognized as the most comprehensive, objective global approach for evaluating the conservation status of plant and animal species.
DD
Data Deficient
Unknown risk of extinction
LC
Least Concern
At relatively low risk of extinction
NT
Near Threatened
Likely to become vulnerable in the near future
VU
Vulnerable
At high risk of extinction in the wild
EN
Endangered
At very high risk of extinction in the wild
CR
Critically Endangered
At extremely high risk of extinction in the wild
EW
Extinct in the Wild
Survives only in captivity
EX
Extinct
No surviving individuals in the wild or in captivity