| |
 |
| |
| |
| |
| Leopards
are the most adaptable of the big cats. Because
of their solitary and secretive nature, most
leopards go unnoticed, and so are not bothered.
Even in the event that humans encroach on
a leopard's territory, it "retaliates"
by changing its dietary habits to include
the human's livestock or dogs. However, leopards
are easy to hunt because they can easily be
treed by dogs. Leopards also follow the same
arboreal pathways, so if studied long enough,
it can be easily traced. Brush fires also
adversely affect the leopard, taking away
necessary cover in which it hunts. |
| Range |
| Leopards
are found in densely forested areas of India
including many National Parks and wildlife
sanctuaries. Across the world, leopards have
the widest distribution of any of the Big
Cats and are found in Africa , Asia Minor
and the Middle East , across south East Asia
, including Sri Lanka and Java and further
North in China and Russia . |
| Physical
Appearance |
| The
leopard is the smallest of the great cats
(lion, tiger, jaguar, leopard). Males are
up to 50% larger than the females; this is
why there is such a variation in its size.
The leopard has an elongated body set on relatively
short and stocky legs. The paws are broad.
Its ears are short and rounded. They have
a very short and sleek coat. Their color varies
from light tawny to deep rusty yellow, with
a lighter underside. They have dark spots
on their face, head, throat, chest, and legs.
The rest of their body is covered in "rosettes".
Leopards can also be totally black. |
| Habitat |
| Leopards
are found in thick forests, mountainous terrain,
open grasslands and even in dry scrub jungle.
Leopards can adapt to varied environments
and this has helped it survive where many
other Big Cats have been severely affected
by habitat destruction. Leopards prefer forest
boundary areas, where they can observe their
prey from the trees and emerge for the kill,
only to retreat with their prey back to the
safety of the tree line. |
| Diet |
| Asiatic
Lions are carnivores and hunt for their prey.
They prey includes various species of deer,
antelope and wild cattle or buffalo. (In Africa
lions also eat zebra and wildebeest. Lions
have also been observed attacking the young
of hippopotamus or elephants in Africa .)
|
| Reproduction
and Social Behaviour |
| Leopards,
like most cats, are solitary animals, coming
together only to breed. Breeding is year-round
in the tropical areas, and seasonal in the
savannas. They are slow breeders, producing
2-3 cubs every couple of years or so. Very
few cubs survive to adulthood. After a gestation
period of 3 months, the female gives birth
to 2-3 cubs in a den. The young are carried
to new places every few days to avoid the
cubs falling prey to lions. The cubs stay
with their mother for two years, then leave
to find another territory of their own. |
| Threats |
| Hunting
for their beautifully spotted fur, habitat
encroachment, and hunting have taken their
toll on the leoaprd, making many subspecies
endangered. They are killed by farmers because
they pose a threat to their livestock. They
can be easily poisoned because they feed on
carrion. |
| Status |
| The
loss of habitat as well as human population
pressure on wildlife reserves in India is
a matter of concern for leopard populations
in India . There have been a number of incidents
in recent years where leopards have entered
Indian cities from nearby wildlife sanctuaries.
|
| |
|
