Leopard

[Lisbeth]

[RogerFraser]

FB Post:Africa Geographic

This amazing interaction between a young leopard and a porcupine was captured on an evening game drive in the Kruger National Park.
Seolo Africa

[Lisbeth]

New toy, but wrong end

[Mel]

The leopard looked a bit irritated at the spotlight at times

[Richprins]

Neither look particularly serious about the meeting!

But he eventually got a spike in the mouth at the end there?

[Richprins]

PHOTOS: Erythristic leopard makes international waves
Find out how rare these leopards really are.
23 hours ago
Arisa Janse van Rensburg

Photos of the leopard that were taken in 2015. All photos: Black Leopard Mountain Lodge.




LYDENBURG – Photos of an erythristic leopard that was recently spotted at Black Leopard Mountain Lodge took both local and international media by storm.

With her striking features and reddish-golden hue, the leopard has been featured on networks and newspapers across the world as its appearance is extremely rare. These include the BBC, New York Post and Fox.

“National Geographic is also coming to do a documentary on these leopards,”

Alan Watson, owner of the lodge and its coexisting wilderness conservation reserve, Thaba Tholo, said.

Photos of the leopard that were taken in 2015.





This week Watson also released photos of the leopard that were taken since 2015. He is also planning to release photos of her with her cub this Sunday.

The greater Lydenburg area is considered a hot spot for erythristic leopards. According to the Mpumalanga Tourism and Parks Agency’s carnivore scientist, Gerrie Camacho, about 14 erythristic leopards have been spotted since 2000 in the area. Only recently a few have been spotted in North West too.


How rare are these leopards really?

The first leopard was spotted in 2000. It was killed on a road near Ohrigstad, Camacho explained.

In 2004 someone claimed to have seen what they called an orange leopard, and in 2013 another one of these felines were killed on the road. “This one had no brown or yellow pigmentation and was basically white with red spots.”

Two erythristic leopards have also been spotted walking together on Long Tom Pass, but unfortunately one was killed by oncoming traffic. In 2016 a female was spotted with three cubs, two of which were also erythristic. “Unfortunately, these two cubs did not survive.”

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Camacho himself also put a collar on a young male in 2015, “but he disappeared, collar and all”.

Two have also been spotted at the pass at Koffiehoogte, while another two were also spotted near Ohrigstad.

“The gross of sightings have been in the greater Lydenburg area, but the chances of you seeing one are slim. They also hide away, just like a normal leopard and are more rare.”

https://lowvelder.co.za/501195/photos-e ... nal-waves/

[Lisbeth]

Erythrism or erythrochroism refers to an unusual reddish pigmentation of an animal's hair, skin, feathers, or eggshells. Causes of erythrism include. genetic mutations which cause an absence of a normal pigment and/or excessive production of others.

[Mel]

Thank you for providing that definition, Lis. I would have had to look it up

The first and the last photo seem to have been taken on the same day...
and is that a cub trailing?

Although, I have to admit, I don't really recognize the difference to the average coloured leopard

[Peter Betts]

The leopard looked a bit irritated at the spotlight at times

Exactly ..Spotlights damage the retinas of carnivores and other Nocturnal Birds and animals

[Richprins]

It is very fancy in the right light!







https://lowvelder.co.za/498349/photos-r ... ht-camera/