View allAll Photos Tagged Leopard
Unfortunately, leopards are the world's most persecuted cat. Due to dwindling numbers and also their secretive nature, these big cats are difficult to come across. They have impressive strength in the muscles of the head, neck, shoulders and legs which gives them the ability to carry heavy carcasses up into trees. With luck, they may live 12 to 15 years in the wild whereas in zoos they average about 23 years. Males can weigh between 30 and 90 kg and females 23 to 60 kg.....This photo was taken in Kirkman's Camp in the Sabi Sand Game Reserve, province of Mpumalanga, South Africa.
V1M very kindly organised for me to go to the Wildlife Heritage Foundation in Kent for a Photographers on Safari day. This meant access inside the normal outer barriers that visitors are normally restricted behind, and enabled me to get right up against the inner enclosure, with camera lens as close as could be to the main enclosure. As well as our photographic instructor - John Wright - on hand to advise on technique, we also one of the cats' keepers, Becky, to tempt the animals out of hiding and into more photogenic positions with some tasty bits of meat.
As some of you will know I am a bit of a fan of animals and big cats in particular so I was rather in my element! Not only did I get some rather lovely photos of some gorgeous animals, but just being at such close quarters with them for the whole day was wonderful in itself.
Khavan is one of two critically endangered amur leopards at the Franklin Park Zoo in Boston, Massachusetts.
Persian Leopard - Leopardo da Pérsia (Panthera pardus saxicolor)
This is a rare and endangered Persian Leopard. This is the largest subspecies of Leopard and can grow up to 82 cm of height
Leopard Cub grooming itself. In this photo he had just fed off an a female Impala corpse. Cats clean themselves to rid the scent of food from their coat - As to not become food themselves.
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Photo of a Leopard taken while on a day out the Yorkshire Wildlife Park, Nr Doncaster
Taken using a Nikon D7100 and Sigma 120.0-400.0 mm f/4.5-5.6 lens
I've never seen this Amur Leopard as active as on this day (not sure if this is Skodgee or Zane). It was up and down the various levels chasing a crow above its enclosure. After a while I came to the conclusion that the crow was taking the piss, as it kept returning after being chased off. :-) A lovely change from seeing these beauties just lying around looking pretty.
1/1000 | f/4.0 | ISO 200