Meet the Animal Park's Leopard
Panthera pardus
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About Leopards
NATIVE RANGE
Leopards are native to Africa and Asia, including India. As a species, they are listed as vulnerable, and many populations are endangered, especially outside of Africa.DIET
These carnivores eat any meat they can find, including monkeys, rodents, snakes, amphibians, birds, fish, antelope, warthogs, and porcupines.BEHAVIOR
Leopards are solitary except during breeding season. They are nocturnal ambush predators and are the most arboreal of the big cats—they can hunt from trees, where their spotted coats allow them to blend with the leaves until they spring with a deadly pounce. They can carry a carcass heavier than themselves up into a tree, which helps keep the meal safe from scavengers like hyenas, lions, and wild dogs.FASCINATING FACTS
- The leopard is the smallest of the four “big cats,” after the tiger, lion, and jaguar.
- Leopards are strong swimmers and great athletes, able to leap nearly 20 feet forward or 10 feet up.
- They can roar, but their voice sounds like more of a rough, raspy bark.
- Melanistic leopards have both a black undercoat and a unique black rosette pattern that may be revealed when struck by the light.
