Points

30

per confirmed sighting

VulnerableRare
mammals • Felidae

Leopard.

L

Panthera pardus

A secretive, powerfully built cat that hoists kills into trees and thrives from desert mountains to suburban river valleys.

Category

mammals

Family

Felidae

Size

1.6–2.1 m including tail, 30–90 kg

Points

30 pts

Log a sighting

A closer look

Field notes for spotting, identifying and understanding leopard in its natural range.

Overview

A secretive, powerfully built cat that hoists kills into trees and thrives from desert mountains to suburban river valleys.

How to identify it

Golden coat covered in rosettes, stocky build, relatively short legs and a long heavy tail.

Habitat

EltonTraits foraging-stratum classification: ground-dwelling/terrestrial (including aquatic ground-associated coding).

Diet

Impala, duiker, birds, rodents and reptiles

Behaviour

Solitary and territorial; caches prey in trees away from hyaenas

When to look

EltonTraits activity classification: nocturnal.

Where to see it

South Africa flagSouth AfricaNamibia flagNamibiaBotswana flagBotswanaZimbabwe flagZimbabweZambia flagZambiaMozambique flagMozambiqueEswatini flagEswatiniMalawi flagMalawiAngola flagAngola
  • Kruger National ParkZA
  • Moremi Game ReserveBW
  • Hwange National ParkZW
  • South Luangwa National ParkZM

Field notes

  • Rosettes are unique to each animal, like a fingerprint.
  • South Luangwa is one of the best places on earth for night leopard sightings.

Safety and etiquette

Highly sensitive to disturbance at kills. Keep noise and lights to a minimum.

Verification and sources

1500 verified species across ten Southern African countries. Spotted an error? Tell us through community guidelines.