Tanzania - Leopard

Leopards are highly elusive animals and when you do get to see one, it is a rare sighting. We were fortunate to spot this beautiful animal in Serengeti, almost at the end of our safari. We watched him for almost 45 minutes. He gave us several photo opportunities and then decided to get itself a meal. Very gracefully, it climbed down from the tree where it was perched and started stalking a small group of Zebras that were grazing nearby. 

We noticed that there was a baby zebra in the group and realised that the leopard was targeting the baby. After a few minutes the zebras realised that there was a leopard nearby and started walking away. They crossed the path in front of our jeep and went to the other side. After following them for a few minutes, the leopard sat down. Soon, it got up again and walked in the opposite direction. 

The fur of the leopard ranges from pale yellow to dark golden and is covered with dark spots. These spots are called ‘rosettes’ since they closely resemble the shape of the rose. Babies are born with barely visible spots and these gradually become darker as the leopard becomes older. Sometimes, the spots are grouped very closely together and become indistinguishable. They give the impression that the leopard is black. Black leopards are called ‘panthers’ which is not a different species but simply a black leopard. 

Leopards are the smallest in the big cat family and love to lounge around on top of trees. They are very strong and agile climbers, with retractable claws, and are known to drag their prey and stash them on top of the trees. They do this to protect their food from other predators like lions and hyenas and enjoy their food over days. 

Leopards are found in sub-Saharan Africa, northeast Africa, Central Asia, India and China. They can live in a varied habitat, from rainforests to deserts, woodlands and forests. The fact that they can eat almost anything to survive helps them in areas where other large cats find it difficult to survive. 

Leopards can run at a speed of 36 miles per hour, and leap 20 feet in a single bound. They can also jump 10 feet straight up in the air. Leopards are solitary creatures and spend their time alone. Male and female come together only for mating purposes and the male plays no role in taking care of the cubs. Leopards are nocturnal hunters who can see seven times better in the dark than humans. They are silent stalkers of their prey.