Leopard
Panthera pardus
Also known as: Panther, Leopoard
Habitat
Ground
Diet
VertFishScav
Active Time
Nocturnal
Size
52.0 kg
About This Species
Solitary and elusive, this ambush predator favors dense riverine woodland, rocky kopjes, and thicket edges where cover is abundant and prey reliable, spending daylight hours resting in large fig or sausage trees or wedged onto shaded ledges. Scan horizontal branches carefully with binoculars, particularly in the hour after dawn and before dusk, and listen for the alarm calls of impala, baboons, or francolins, which reliably betray its presence long before it is seen. The dry season — when vegetation thins and prey concentrates around waterholes — offers the best odds of a sighting, and drives along drainage lines and rocky outcrops at last light are the most consistently productive approach.
Ethical Viewing Guidelines
- Maintain a minimum distance of 50 metres at all times, and significantly greater distances if the animal is resting, feeding, or accompanied by cubs, as disturbance during these behaviours carries heightened welfare consequences for a Vulnerable species.
- Across its range, it receives legal protection under India's Wildlife Protection Act (1972), South Africa's National Environmental Management: Biodiversity Act (2004), and CITES Appendix I, which prohibits international commercial trade; always verify local regulations before any observation activity.
- Use binoculars or telephoto lenses rather than approaching more closely, switch off engines if stationary, avoid spotlighting at night, and immediately withdraw if any behavioural change — such as ear flattening, tail flicking, or movement away — indicates awareness of your presence.
Seasonal Activity
7,355 sightings · 2000–2026
Citizen science records via GBIF
Classification
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Chordata
- Class
- Mammalia
- Order
- Carnivora
- Family
- Felidae
Traits
- Diet
- VertFishScav
- Foraging
- Ground
- Activity
- Nocturnal
- Body mass
- 52.0 kg
Photo
Wikimedia Commons / Wikimedia Commons
CC-BY-SA-4.0
Occurrence data from GBIF.