Leopards are graceful and powerful big cats closely related to lions, tigers, and jaguars. They live in sub-Saharan Africa, northeast Africa, Central Asia, India, and China. However, many of their populations are endangered, especially outside of Africa

The leopard is so strong and comfortable in trees that it often hauls its kills into the branches. By dragging the bodies of large animals aloft it hopes to keep them safe from scavengers such as hyenas. Leopards can also hunt from trees, where their spotted coats allow them to blend with the leaves until they spring with a deadly pounce. These nocturnal predators also stalk antelope, deer, and pigs by stealthy movements in the tall grass. When human settlements are present, leopards often attack dogs and, occasionally, people.
 

Description

Size:

Head and body length: 120-205 cm

Shoulder Height: 88-134 cm

Tail Length: 10-60 cm

Weight: 68-115 kg

A slender antelope with a sandy brown coat which is paler below. The species has an elongated face with a slightly convex forehead. A white line, or chevron, passes from one eye to the other across the forehead, giving the HIROLA the appearance of wearing spectacles. The long, thin tail is white, as are the ears, which are tipped with black. The horns are well developed in both sexes; these are lyre-shaped and conspicuously ringed for most of their length, and when fully developed can reach lengths of over 70 cm.

ECOLOGY

Hirola are selective grazers. Their diet consists of short grasses, supplemented occasionally with forbs. They follow the progress of newly sprouting grasses on the savannah and grasslands, avoiding areas containing long grass. Most feeding activity takes place at dawn and dusk.

                                                                                                                     

The species has a harem-based mating system where dominant males defend a territory containing 7 or 8 females and their young. Small groups of bachelor males and yearlings also occur. Group size usually ranges from 5 to 40, although groups sometimes come together to form herds of several hundred individuals at certain times of the year. Males compete for access to females by posturing and fighting. Mating takes place at the start of the long rainy season (March-April), with most births occurring at the beginning of the short rainy season (October-November). Females give birth to a single young, generally away from the rest of the group. They spend up to two weeks alone with their calves, during which time both mother and calf are particularly vulnerable to predation from lions, cheetahs and hyenas. The young separate from the group at around one year of age to join a sub-group of yearlings. Females sexually mature at 2 to 3 years of age, while males do not mate until they can successfully compete with other dominant males, usually between 3 and 4 years of age. Lifespan in the wild is unknown, although this species lives for an average of ten years in captivity