Another big cat of the “big five” is the Leopard or Panthera Pardus which is a mammal of the Felidae family and is the smallest of the four big cats of the genus Panthera, which includes the Tiger, Lion and Jaguar along with the Leopard. The Leopard was once seen across southern Eurasia and Africa as well as Korea, Spain and of course South Africa but it has since disappeared and now mainly resides in sub-Saharan Africa much like the Lion.

The Leopard can be seen in other places such as Israel, Indochina, Malaysia and western China but always in very small populations. Despite the continued population decrease this cat remains a lesser concern for conservationists mainly because its numbers are far greater than that of the other Panthera species, all of which face more acute conservation concerns. The Leopard is famous for its spots and these cats have relatively short legs and a long body and usually a massive skull. Physically it most closely resembles the Jaguar although it is usually smaller with more delicate features. (more…)

Tags: rhino, vacation, african, travel, adverture, resorts, kruger park, holiday, animals, wild life