Lucy's Leopard Report

The Leopard

Leopards are from the greater part of Africa and much of Asia, from the middle east to the Indian Subcontinent.

Background:

The leopard has been hunted for its pelt for many years. In the early 1960’s the number of Leopards hunted reached an all time high and an estimated 50,000 were killed in Eastern Africa alone.

Characteristics:

Leopards spend most of their time hunting for food, and climbing up trees and sleeping.

Diet:

The leopard feeds on a variety of different animals including baboons, warthogs and antelopes as well as smaller mammals and birds.

Adaptations:

Leopards have a well-developed chest that helps them draw oxygen from the thin air of high mountains.

Jaw-dropping facts:

The leopard has a highly developed homing instinct. A group found wandering in a suburb of of Nairobi were rounded up and released.

Breeding:

Male and female Leopards come together to breed for six to seven days when it is breeding time.

In the past Leopard populations were greatly diminished by trophy hunting but now habitat destruction is a major threat to the continued existence of the Leopard.

By Lucy