Leopard

[Poplap]

My favourite animal.

French: Léopard, Panthère
Spanish: Leopardo, Pantera
Kingdom Animalia
Phylum Chordata
Class Mammalia
Order Carnivora
Family Felidae
Genus Panthera
Size Head-body length: 100 - 190 cm
Tail length: 70 - 95 cm
Shoulder height: 45 - 80 cm
Male weight: 30 - 70 kg
Female weight: 28 - 60 kg

* Supreme stealth and remarkable versatility
* Super predator
* Agile climber
* Acute vision and hearing
* Moves slowly and silently, frequently stalking to within metres of prey without being detected
* Can reach speeds of up to 60 kmph


We saw this magnificent specimen on the Phalaborwa - Letaba road in July 2011:









How to spot a leopard - look for an unusual clump in a tree, with a weird looking stick (or two, i.e. one of the legs or both legs) pointing downwards. Proud to say I spot a leopard (near Mdlondozi) at this distance during January 2012 - third tree, far back...









After a while it became restless, stood up and left.

[Sprocky]

One of my best Leopard sightings. I had this one visual for over two hours and sometimes it was right against my vehicle.



A flying Leopard...

[Flutterby]

Hey guys,

Please excuse some of the pics as I only got my first camera just over 4 years ago and it was a my boets old 4MP Panasonic , but I’m going to post a few pics anyway as I have records of what we have seen on most roads south of Letaba.

I will update as I go through the roads and omit many, as I have done with these roads, where the pics are too embarrassing to post. :roll:

H4-1





















H4-2











H11



S79







S21





H3



H1-2







S139



S41



S33

[Dewi]

Stunning pics Poplap, Sprocky & Bushcraft.

This female (at the time we were convinced it was a male as three of us thought we saw something that ID'd it as one, but they don't show up in the photos ) was stalking Impala close to Shingwedzi.



And a male sat on a branch close to the road North of Mopani.

[serval]

What's most important is that this was on a public road in the KNP during normal travelling hours we were alone from first sighting it on the log for a good 30 minutes untill the leopard left at last light.

[Flutterby]

My best LIT sighting - near Kumana Dam, KNP.

[Richprins]

[Rene van der Schyff]

Sorry, I am new to this site and love the pictures! I dont know how to upload some of my photos here?

[Lisbeth]

Hi Rene and welcome to the AW forum. I have sent you a PM

[Richprins]

Pic courtesy of Borderline:




Somewhere between Transport Dam and Skukuza, I think?


Where was yours, PRWIN?