The Leopard (Panthera pardus)
- Deon Furstenburg
- Oct 27
- 2 min read
All modern cats belong to one of two families:
(a) Felinae – the smaller, non-roaring, purring cats, and
(b) Pantherinae – the roaring cats, which include the leopard (Panthera pardus), lion (P. leo), jaguar (P. onca), and tiger (P. tigris).
The roaring cats possess a remarkable adaptation — an elastic ligament in the throat known as the hyoid apparatus, which allows free movement of the larynx and produces their deep, resonant calls.
Once described in 27 subspecies, later reduced to eight, the leopard was reclassified in 1995 as a single species, Panthera pardus. It is one of the most widespread and adaptable of all big cats, found across Africa from sea level to over 5 000 metres, and even in close proximity to towns and cities such as Cape Town and Nairobi.
Leopards are solitary by nature. Males and females occupy separate territories and meet only to mate. Mothers raise one to three cubs in a defined area for about three to four months until the cubs become independent. Adult males can weigh up to 90 kg (average 60 kg), while females reach about 45 kg (average 32 kg).
Primarily nocturnal, the leopard hunts and travels between dusk and dawn. During the day, it shelters in dense vegetation, along riverbanks, or among rocks and cliffs on koppies and ridges.
A master of stealth, the leopard hunts alone, relying on its cryptic camouflage to approach prey to within eight metres before launching a sudden, powerful leap. With one swift bite to the throat, it brings down its victim, dragging the carcass under thick bush or hoisting it into a tree — often lifting prey twice its own weight to protect it from scavengers.
After the buffalo, the leopard is regarded as Africa’s most dangerous animal. If it senses it is being followed, it may circle back along its own spoor to stalk the tracker — a behaviour that has earned it both fear and respect among hunters and field researchers.
For many African tribes, the leopard symbolizes royalty and strength. Cloaks made from its skin are traditionally worn by tribal kings as a mark of leadership.
Rare black (melanistic) leopards are occasionally found in the Lydenburg–Origstad mountains of South Africa and parts of Central and East Africa, such as Uganda.
The leopard’s spoor shows no claw marks, as its 25–30 mm claws retract fully into the nailbeds. The front paw print measures 110 x 110 mm, and the hind paw about 125 x 100 mm.
Elusive and secretive, the leopard is difficult to count in the wild. Population studies across Africa estimate densities ranging between 3 and 20 leopards per 10 000 hectares, depending on habitat and prey availability.
Silent, powerful, and fiercely independent, Panthera pardus remains one of Africa’s most admired and mysterious predators — the unseen guardian of the night.
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