The leopard is the most elusive of the big 5 animals in Kruger National Park. If you’re lucky enough to find one, you may only see it for a couple of seconds. If you’re on a game walk, it’s quite common to hear one, but for the most part, they’re too crafty to be seen on this activity.
They are brilliant hunters and are able to carry an antelope 3 times their body weight up a tree. They do this to keep their food away from scavengers such as hyenas.
Keep an eye out for these great cats at dawn and dusk when you’re most likely to see them strolling along just off the side of the road. You’ll seldom see a group of them though. They live solitary lives.
These felines may be seen throughout Kruger National Park. In fact, these animals are so successful and fleeting that they are still, albeit in small numbers, found in the wild areas across South Africa, outside game reserves. Yikes!
| Quick facts | |
| Latin name | Panthera pardus pardus |
| Famous for | Strength, agility and stealthy hunting |
| Diet | Carnivore, eats a wide range of prey, but prefers medium-sized animals weighing between 10-40kg (22-88lb) |
| Weight | 40-60kg (88-132lb) average |
| Shoulder height | 45-80cm (1.5-2.6ft) average |
| Gestation period | 3-3.5 months producing 2-4 cubs |
We once went on a morning game walking trail and had a close encounter with this elusive big cat. We didn’t see it, but we heard it.
As we walked through the bush, we heard a sound like a grinding bark. At first, we thought it was a baboon making a noise, but the ranger leading us knew it was the shifty big cat. The ranger tried tracking the sound, but it moved away quickly. We didn’t see it. They are very seldom encountered on walks.
In fact, there are only 1,000 of them in Kruger National Park. Seeing one will come down to being in the right place at the right time.