Where does the leopard live?
The leopard has the widest distribution of all wild cats, across Africa and Asia, although its populations are fragmented and declining. It adapts to varied habitats, from rainforest to savanna, grasslands, woodlands and riverside forests. It can even live near cities, as long as it is not persecuted and finds enough prey and vegetation to hide in.
What does the leopard eat?
It is an opportunistic predator that hunts mostly ungulates and primates. Its coat of spotted rosettes works as camouflage as it stalks its prey and ambushes it. An excellent climber and jumper, it sometimes hauls its prey up a tree, out of reach of other predators. It lives alone, except in the mating season and when raising cubs.
Is the leopard endangered?
Yes: the IUCN lists it as Vulnerable. Its range has shrunk by about 95% in West Africa and by 97% in the Sahara. It is listed on CITES Appendix I, and hunting is banned in Botswana and Afghanistan. Eight subspecies are recognised.
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