Fun Facts
Leopard
LATIN NAME: Panthera pardus
STATUS: Vulnerable (VU)
MATURE POPULATION: Estimates in South Africa are between 5 000 and 11 000 animals, with populations decreasing globally.
HEIGHT: 60-70 m
WEIGHT: 35-60 kg
LIFESPAN: 10 – 12 years
HABITAT: Deserts, Semi-Deserts, Grasslands, Mountains
Leopards historically existed within most of the African and Asian continent. African Leopards populations and ranges have decreased due to pressures from humans, poaching and loss of habitat. In North Africa, Leopards ranges have decreased by 97%, leaving only small, fragmented populations left.
Leopards are a part of the same family as cats, often referred to as big cats. They have very distinctive coats of pale fur with black spots grouped in shapes which look similar to roses called “rosettes”.