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Habitat: Leopards
are more commonly found along riverine forests and bushes. Although less common, they also
can be
found along open plains and savanna, mainly in hills and rocky outcrops.
Habits: Leopards normally hunt at night and dusk, staying in secluded spots during the day
or lying in high branches of trees.
They are solitary animals by nature, only associating with a female for mating and staying
with her only for a couple of days.
Leopards are masters of camouflage and they move silently trough the vegetation to attack
their prey at very close quarters. The victim is normally killed with a bite on the back
of the neck, and then taken up a tree, where the leopard will feed at leisure, away from
scavengers.
Leopards are extremely territorial animals. Their life span is about 15 years, and they
can attain a mass of about 70-kg.
Diet: Leopards are the most successful hunters of the cat family. Their prey includes
Impala, Bushbuck, Warthog and also the young of Wildebeest, Kudu and Waterbuck. Rodents,
ground birds, monkeys, baboons, frogs and fish, also make part of its diet.
Breeding: The female gives birth to one to three cubs after a gestation period of about
105 days. The cubs are kept in secluded spots, like thickets and rocky crevices. They are
much darker than adults.
Female Leopards are very dedicated mothers leaving their cubs only when hunting.
