The most widespread wild cat, a spotted, secretive hunter that survives almost anywhere with cover: rainforest, savanna, mountains and semi-desert across Africa and Asia.
Quick answers
What is it?Mammal
Carnivore?Yes
Dangerous?Yes
Some became man-eaters: the Leopard of Rudraprayag killed more than 125 people.
Domesticated?No
Awake when?Night
Mainly active from dusk to dawn, resting through most of the day.
Hibernates?No
Kept as a pet?No
Do people eat it?No
At a glance
Found inAfrica, Asia
HabitatForest, Rainforest, Grassland, Scrub, Mountains
ColoursGold, Black
SizeLarge
Length92–183 cm plus a 66–102 cm tail
Weight20–72 kg; big males up to 91 kg
Legs4
Covered inFur
Lives alone
Lives for12–17 years
Can swim
In the wild
- Where it lives
- Much of sub-Saharan Africa, with fragmented, declining populations across the Middle East, South and Southeast Asia, China and the Russian Far East.
- What it eats
- Almost anything it can overpower, from antelope and deer to monkeys, rodents and birds. Kills are often dragged up a tree.
- Conservation
- Vulnerable (IUCN Red List)
Did you know
Hauls kills heavier than itself up into trees.
Often confused with
- Jaguar
A jaguar is stockier with a bigger head, and its rosettes are larger, often with a spot inside. Jaguars live only in the Americas; leopards only in Africa and Asia.
Compare side by side - Cheetah
A cheetah has solid round spots rather than rosettes, black “tear” lines from eye to mouth, and a slimmer, longer-legged build.
Compare side by side - Black panther
A black panther in Africa or Asia is a leopard with black fur.
Compare side by side
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