African Leopard: a two-minute wildlife lesson

Big Cats · day 4 of 7

Five facts

1. Leopards can run at over 58 km/h, leap over 6 m horizontally and jump up to 3 m straight up.
2. Leopards can drag prey heavier than themselves up trees. One was seen hauling a young giraffe weighing nearly 125 kg up 5.7 m.
3. No two leopards share the same rosette pattern. Leopards with all-black fur, called melanistic, are better known as black panthers.
4. A leopard's most notable call is a 'sawing' roar of deep, repeated strokes. Cubs call their mother with meows.
5. Leopards climb trees skillfully, often resting on branches and coming back down headfirst.

The quiz

1. How high can a leopard jump straight up?

• Up to 6 m
• Up to 1 m
• Up to 3 m (correct)
• Up to 10 m

Leopards can jump up to 3 m vertically.

2. What did one leopard haul up a tree?

• A young giraffe (correct)
• A young zebra
• A full-grown buffalo
• A wildebeest

One leopard was seen hauling a young giraffe up into a tree.

3. What are melanistic leopards also known as?

• Shadow cats
• Night leopards
• Coal cats
• Black panthers (correct)

Leopards with all-black (melanistic) fur are better known as black panthers.

4. What is a leopard's most notable call?

• A chirping trill
• A sawing roar (correct)
• A long howl
• A deep purr

The most notable call is a 'sawing' roar of deep, repeated strokes.

5. How do leopards often come back down a tree?

• Headfirst (correct)
• Tail first
• By jumping
• Sliding sideways

Leopards often descend trees headfirst.

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