Leopard

Leopard (Felis pardus), one of the larger cats, ranging over the whole of the south of Asia, Ceylon, Java, Sumatra, and Borneo, and the African continent. The name has superseded that of Pard or Panther, now practically obsolete. Leopards vary greatly, and some authorities have thought that there are more species than one. They are exceedingly active and graceful in their movements, and can climb trees readily. Their favourite haunts are bushy and wooded ground; and their prey consists of deer, antelopes, sheep, goats, pigs, and it is said that they have a special fondness for the flesh of dogs. As a general rule they rarely attack man, but children and old women are often carried off by them; and, like tigers, some develop "man-eating" propensities. The average length is from 6 feet to 7 feet, of which the tail is rather less than half. The fur is pale fawn or reddish-buff, with dark rosettes; the under surface is white with dark spots, and the tail is marked with incomplete rings.