Facts about Leopards

Photo by: Lee Dicks

Latin Name: Panthera pardus

 

Weight: Females up to 60 kg. Males up to 90 kg

Lifespan: 20 years

Gestation: 110 days

Habitat and distribution:

The leopard is one of the most adaptable predators in Africa. They are able to survive in many different types of habitats, taking preference to savannah, woodland, riverine vegetation and mountainous regions. They can also be found living close to human settlements where domestic animals may become a source of prey.

 

The Sabi Sand Game Reserve in South Africa has the highest concentration of leopard in Africa.

The reason for this concentration is the abundance of water and the many river systems both dry and flowing which is ideal for hunting and concealment for themselves and cubs.

Prey is also in abundance and this game reserve.

The leopard population is often affected by the amount of lions within an area.

The more lion the fewer leopards as lion see them as competition and will often try kill them.

Man-eating leopards:

Of all predators, the leopard is the most likely to become a man-eater as many of them have established territories close to human settlements, resulting in regular encounters with people.

A leopard is very intelligent in that it will closely observe the daily habits and movements of other animals and even humans, for example a person going down to a river to wash or fetch drinking water at the same place at about the same time every day may become prey as the leopard then knows where and when to hide in order to hunt the expected human.

As with any other predator a leopard does not become a man-eater after tasting human flesh or blood but instead realizes how easy it is to hunt humans as they are weak and very slow, easy to prey on.

Old, slickly or injured leopard may turn to hunting humans as their natural prey may be too difficult to catch.

 

 

 

Behavior:

Unlike lions which are usually found in family groups, the leopard lives a more solitary life. Individuals seen together are most likely to be a mother with cubs, a male and female mating or encounters on the boundaries of their different territories. The collective name for a group of leopard is a “LEAP”.

Both males and females are territorial. The sizes of the different territories vary quite considerably. The males tend to have larger areas up to 100 km² and sometimes more, with several female territories overlapping within.

The size of their territories are influenced by the concentration of others individuals in the area as well as the availability of water and suitable prey species.

Leopard mark their territories by spraying urine onto trees and bushes and periodically return to, to remark, they also advertise their presence within its territory vocally, by making a series of grunts described as the sound of a saw cutting through wood.

Their beautiful colouration consists of dark-brown to black spots, which form the shape of rosettes. The edges of their eyes are lined with a white colour which may aid their nocturnal vision by amplifying light that is reflected off its surroundings.

Along with its superb camouflage, it is a very silent and stealthy predator with a very high success rate in kills made on hunts.

Pound for pound the leopard is the strongest cat in the world, capable of climbing a tree whilst carrying prey that is more than twice its own body weight. If the prey is too large to climb up with, it will often feed on the ground until carcass is light enough to pull up into a tree.

They are very opportunistic hunters, sometimes having 2 or more kills at the same time. The leopard is not fond of eating fur, so before opening a carcass to feed on the softer meat, it plucks out the animal’s hair.

Many young and inexperienced leopards don’t drag their kills up into trees often resulting in lions or hyenas stealing it from them. A carcass strung high up in a tree is a lot safer, allowing the leopard to can come and go as it pleases and feed at leisure. In areas with few scavengers, they will sometimes leave the kill on the ground and cover it grass and leaves or drag it out of sight into thick vegetation.

Of all the large predators in Africa it is the second fastest sprinter after the cheetah, reaching speeds of up to 85 km/hour in just 3 seconds!

Diet:

The leopards’ diet consists of mainly small to medium sized antelope such as impala, bush buck, steenbok and duiker. They will also prey on kudu, warthog, baboons, vervet monkeys, hares, guinea fowl and francolins. A leopard will even eat insects if it is struggling to hunt for some reason.

Breeding:

 

Mating takes place at any time of the year. The male locates a female on “heat” by taste testing the urine she leaves behind on the vegetation, after scent-marking her territory. A female that is ready to mate is very vocal, often calling throughout the night to find a possible mating partner.

Once a suitable male is located, the pair may remain together for a week while mating.

The female gives birth to 2 or 3 cubs which she hides in thick vegetation, rocky outcrops or even in caves. Every 3 or 4 days the female moves the cubs as the smell of their urine and faeces becomes very prominent, often attracting unwanted visitors such as lion and hyena that would almost certainly kill the cubs.

Cubs start eating meat at around 6 to 8 weeks of age but still suckle off the female for up 3 or 4 months until weaning. At 12 months of age the cubs keen hunters and by 16 to 18 months they are too large for the mother to feed so she chases them off to be on their own.

 

Cubs of the same litter that are independent of their mother will often keep together for a few months before parting ways.

Leopard vs. Man & life stock:

 

Life stock such as sheep and the young from cattle often fall prey to leopard.

This is a loss in income for a farmer which may result in the leopard being destroyed by either shooting or poisoning.

Unfortunately this is only a short term solution as when leopard is removed from its territory a “vacuum” is created, in other words that area is now un-habited and now available for other leopards to move into.

New individuals to the territory may also turn to hunting life stock until they are too are destroyed.

Over a long period of time, as long as decades there may be no leopard left in the area and the farmers’ life stock will be safe.

 

Another solution is to bate and catch them and relocate them to areas where leopard populations are low and where they pose little or no threat to life stock or humans.

The downside to this method is the high costs involved in the whole process.

 

Another totally different approach which may prove quite successful is the use of electric collars on both the leopard and life stock.

How it works is when the leopard gets within a certain short distance from the cattle’s collar a signal is emitted to the leopards collar which results in a low voltage shock from the leopard’s collar.

 The idea behind this method is to condition the leopard into not wanting to hunt life stock as it then associates the cattle or sheep with pain whenever it gets too close to them.

 

The ideal outcome would be then to take the collar off the conditioned leopard in hope that it avoids life stock and hunts only its natural prey species.
 

Leopard attacks on humans:

In September 2003 in the Kruger National Park a Safari guide was attacked in his vehicle while viewing a female leopard on a road between Satara camp and Orpen Gate.

There were a number of vehicles on the sighting which included a couple safari vehicles and tourist vehicles.

The leopard which was walking between the vehicles came up behind the safari guides vehicle.

The guide then turned off the engine and instructed his guests to remain dead still as not to disturb her.

Suddenly and totally unexpectedly the leopard jumped into the vehicle and started biting the guide on his left calf!

One of the guides from another vehicle jumped out and threw a water bottle at her which enough to save the guide as she then stopped and sat down.

The guide was taken to a clinic in Nelspruit for treatment of his wounds.

The leopard was later shot by one of Kruger rangers.

The real reason as to why the leopard attacked the guide may never be known as there are so many different factors that could have caused this incident.

The leopard may have felt threatened by the pure number of vehicles or she might have been injured or ill and so felt vulnerable to the presence of the vehicles

 

Leopard like many other predators see very well at night but there detailed vision is not quite the same as ours and it is difficult for a leopard to see individual people sitting in a vehicle so out of curiosity the leopard may have jumped into the vehicle only to find herself threatening position and in doing so attacked. As the saying goes “Curiosity killed the cat”.  

Rhino Pictures

More on Rhino's

 

Facts about White Rhinos

Black Rhino Facts

Difference between Black and White Rhino

Black Rhino Facts

Alternative Name: Hook-lipped Rhinoceros

Latin Name: Diceros bicornis

Status: Endangered

Lifespan: 40 years

Weight:
Both male and female adults average from 800 to 850 kg, with large adults reaching up to 1000 kg.

Habitat:
Black Rhinoceros are found in dry arid areas as well as savannah and woodland areas with sufficient shrubs and trees to hide in, in the heat of the day.

Food:
Black rhino are browsers, feeding off a wide variety of shrubs and trees. Toxic plants such as the Tamboti Spirostachys africana with its high latex content are also eaten, having no harmful effects on the animal.

The black rhino has a very prehensile upper lip that is used to pull off leaves, shoots and thin branches while feeding.

Reproduction:
Breeding takes place at any time of the year. The female can conceive her first calf at 7 to 8 years of age. A bull will ascertain if a cow is in oestrus by taste-testing the females’ urine otherwise known as “flehmen”.
After a successful copulation, the female has a gestation period of 15 months and gives birth to a calf weighing in at about 40 kg.

The calf suckles off the mother for 12 – 13 months and is fully weaned at 14 months. When the cow is ready to give birth to her next calf, she then chases the older calf away to be on its own or temporarily join up with other adults or youngsters in the area. The calf is usually chased away at 2 to 4 years of age.

Notes:
Black Rhinos do not defend territories but do have home ranges in variable size that they scent-mark in. The bull scent-marks by either spraying urine onto vegetation or by defecating in certain spots called middens. Middens, which vary in number, are large collections of dung left by one bull or a number of different adults over a period of time. The bull after dropping his dung scrapes it into the ground with his hind legs and then spreads the dung further by dragging his feet as he walks away from the midden. Dung stuck under the bulls’ feet helps to further spread his scent as his walks through the area.
The purpose of a midden is to possibly convey information to other adults in the area by the different smells left in the midden.

The black rhinoceros has very weak eyesight but to compensate for that it has a very keen sense of smell and good hearing.

Of the two species of rhino found in Africa, the black rhino is the far more aggressive species. There are however fewer incidents of black rhino injuring or killing people, owing to its much lower population.

The white rhino having a higher population results in more frequent encounters with humans and although not considered as dangerous, accidents have been recorded.

The African Big 5

What are the Big 5 and how were they chosen?



1) Lion
2) Leopard
3) African Elephant
4) Black Rhino
5) Cape Buffalo

These 5 animals were chosen by the first European hunters as being the most dangerous animals to hunt and were responsible for killing the most hunters on their hunting safaris’

Why is the Hippopotamus not part of the big five, as statistics show it kills more people in Africa than any other mammal?

The Hippo is very dangerous, but not dangerous to hunt. When Hippo are in water they are quite relaxed when approached on foot, making it very easy for a hunter to get close to them without much threat of an attack.

African Elephant Facts

Latin name: Loxodonta africana

Weight:
The average large Elephant bull reaches a weight of 5.5 tons. Some males can be as heavy as 6.5 tons. The females average about 3.5 to 4 tons.

Sexuall differentiation:
Bulls are heavier in weight and generally have thicker tusks than the cows do.
A cow has a more prominent forehead when compared to the bull. With young calves it is rather difficult to see the difference in the forehead.



Gestation period:
The female is pregnant for 22 months.

Breeding and reproduction:
By 10 years of age both males and females are sexually mature. The male however, may only have his first opportunity of mating at the age of 20 to 25 years of age.
The female can give birth to her first calf at 12 years of age.

Only the stronger more dominant bulls get to mate and roughly once a year for about 1 week or as long as 2 or 3 months, the bull goes into a reproductive condition known a musth. When in musth, the male’s temporal glands start secreting excessive fluid and there is also a very visible flow of fluid from the genitals, which has a very prominent /powerful smell. This is all as a result of an increased level in testosterone.

Bulls in musth actively seek breeding herds to find potential females to mate with.
After a successful copulation the female gives birth after a gestation of 22 months. The newborn calf suckles for 18 months or as long as 2 years.
The reason for such a long weaning period is because of the many thousands of muscles that they have in their trunks, making it very difficult for the calf to control. As the calf learns how to use its trunk, it will start feeding more off vegetation and become less dependent on its mother’s milk.

The female’s on average give birth every 5 to 7 years.

Social Life:
There are two main types of herds to be found, breeding herds and bachelor herds.

The breeding herd consists of predominantly females which are related in some way or another. The oldest female normally leads the herd and is known as the matriarch. The matriarch has the most knowledge of the area in which they live. She knows where to find the best feeding areas as well as water.
Over time a breeding herd can get quite large with as many as 200 individuals or more. Large herds will often split with the second oldest female taking charge of the new herd. The two herds will go separate ways and on occasion will join up again for short periods.

Young males, at the age 13 years are chased out of the breeding herd by the adults to be on their own or to join up with other males in the bachelor herds.
Bachelor herds consist of only males. The size of a bachelor herd changes on a regular basis as the males come and go as they please.
Competition for dominance between males is fierce with a definite hierarchy.

Lifespan & Feeding:
A large Elephant bull will eat as much a 200 kg of food a day. Only 40% of that is digested as they have a very weak digestive system. They will eat on average 18 hours a day.

The age will vary from one area to the next. In South Africa they normally reach 60-65 years. In Kenya & Tanzania about 70-75 years. The world record oldest Elephant reached an age of 86 years.
The reason why there is such an age difference in the different countries is due to the type of vegetation that the Elephants are eating. The softer the vegetation is, the longer the lifespan of the animal.

Excluding the tusks, an Elephant has 8 teeth in its’ mouth, 4 molars on the top and 4 on the bottom. They eat on average 18 hours a day so eventually the teeth start cracking and fall out. A new set of teeth will then replace the old set. An Elephant goes through 6 sets of teeth in a lifetime and at the age of about 47 years the last set will push through. Once the last set of teeth have fallen out Elephant starts rubbing the vegetation between its’ gums to try break it down. The condition of the animal deteriorates as it can’t chew its’ food properly to get enough nutrition and eventually dies.

The Elephants in Kenya & Tanzania feed mainly on grass, which is their favourite food. The grass is soft on the teeth, so the Elephants last set of teeth last quite a long time.

The elephants in South Africa also prefer grass but in the winter period when there less grass to eat they then start feeding more on leaves, roots and the bark of trees. This vegetation is a lot harder on the teeth so the last set of teeth don’t last as long as the Elephants in Kenya/Tanzania.

Elephant's Trunk:
No one knows for 100% how many muscles there are. I have heard two figures, one of
40 0000 and another of 140 000 muscles. With so many muscles so close together it makes it difficult to count. What might look like 1 muscle could be a small group of muscles.
So the correct answer would be "the elephant has thousands of muscles in the trunk".

Quick Facts:
- An Elephant is capable of running at a top speed of 45km/hour.
- The African Elephant's closest relative is the Dassie (Hyrax)
- The collective name for elephant is a parade or memory of elephants.
- A Mature elephant bull produces on average 120 kg of dung every day!!

Interesting Facts on Lions

Latin name: Panthera leo

Lifespan:
On average, the females live for 17 years, the males 15 years.
The oldest lion possibly recorded was a male living in a Zoo in Sri Lanka that reached a ripe old age of 26.

Lions living in Zoo's don't have the stress of defending territories against other prides and don't have to hunt for themselves, which could possibly be the reason for a longer lifespan.

Weight and weight records:
On average, adult lionesses weigh 150 kg, with larger adults reaching up to 180 kg. Females reach their prime maturity at about 5 years of age.
The average adult male weighs around 220 kg, with really large males reaching 280kg. Males reach their prime maturity at about 7 years.

The heaviest recorded wild lion in South Africa was a man-eating lion that was shot, just south of the Kruger National Park. He weighed in at 313kg.
The heaviest living lion today, if he is still alive, is a male that lives in a Canadian zoo weighing at 366kg.
The World Record is 375kg!

Zoo and circus lions in general are overweight from overfeeding and the lack of exercise.

Feeding and Diet:
Prey species vary from small to large mammals such as hares, monkeys, baboons, impala, gazelles, kudu, steenbok, duiker, zebra and wildebeest. Larger prides may specialize in hunting large game such as giraffe, hippo, rhino and elephant.

The lionesses do most of the hunting, they are also more successful when stalking prey as they have a better camouflage and are far more patient at hunting than the males are.

Mature males with dark manes have the disadvantage that they may be seen from a long distance by their prey, making stalking rather difficult, especially in the dry season.
The males are very capable of hunting and will often join the hunt when it involves large prey such as buffalo, rhino and elephant where the extra weight and power is needed to pull down these animals.

Once a kill is made the males will often take over as they are stronger and larger and therefore take priority in feeding, leaving the females to feed off the scraps or nothing at all.

A mature lion is capable of consuming amounts of meat that are equivalent to 10% of its own body mass, tucking in as much as 25kg on one feeding! Once a lion has eaten as much as it can, it starts to breathe very rapidly, this is as a result of the stomach being so full and putting pressure on the ribcage which makes breathing more difficult. The heavy breathing cools down the lion and slows its metabolism down as well. On a full stomach a lion can go 4 days quite comfortably without having to hunt again.

The under-part of the lions’ belly is very light in colour, almost white and when their bellies are full they will often lay down on their backs exposing the lighter colour to the sun. The light colour absorbs less heat from the sun, thus keeping them cooler, especially in areas with limited shade. Lying on their backs also helps with the uncomfortable pressure off their full stomachs.

On a hot day lions will often lick the pads of their feet, especially the front feet and then turn them upwards to cool them down in the breeze.

Running Speed:
From standstill too sprinting, a lion can reach a speed of close on 80km/h in just 3 seconds! It can run at this speed for 300 - 400 meters.

Interesting Lion Theory:
In many game reserves in Africa there are over-populations of lion and what is often noticeable is how many of the pregnant females are giving birth to more male cubs than females. On average a mother will give birth to three cubs, normally 2 females and 1 male, but in over-populated areas this is often the reverse with the mother giving birth to 2 males and 1 female cub.

Over a period of time as the population increases, there will be far too many males. At the age of about 3 and a half years these males will be forced out of their prides by their parents and then start living a nomadic life until they are old enough to fight for their own territories.

Competition between the males is very tough with there being so many of them in the same area and not enough space, resulting in more fighting and thus an increase in the male mortality rate. Gradually the male lion population will drop, leaving only the strong and healthy ones behind. At the same time, with there being so few female cubs, this will also slow the population growth as there are now fewer females to give birth to their own young in the future.

So nature seems to control its own animal numbers is some way or another.