THE LEOPARD 



When captured young the leopard is easily 

 tamed, and may be handled freely. It is taught 

 to perform in circuses, and is one of the typical 

 show animals of travelling menageries and zoo- 

 logical gardens. It is capable of considerable 

 training, but is invariably more or less morose and 

 sullen. 



When attacking its prey, if it be large, the leopard 

 seizes it by the throat, buries its pov^erful clavv^s 

 in the creature's neck, and either breaks the back- 

 bone or strangles it v^ith vicious bites with its 

 powerful jaws, which are armed with sharp and 

 strong canine teeth. 



The tiger starts eating its victim hindquarters 

 first ; the leopard, on the contrary, tears open 

 the abdomen, drags out the contents, and feeds 

 first upon the lungs, liver, heart, kidneys, and a 

 portion of the intestines. 



The number of leopard cubs at a birth in this 

 country is usually three, although as many as six 

 are recorded. The cubs are born, as a general rule, 

 during the months of October, November, and 

 December. 



Leopards differ considerably in size and mark- 

 ings. The colour of the fur of the typical leopard 

 is yellow of varying shades, profusely covered with 

 rosette-shaped black markings. These markings 

 and the general body colour vary according to 

 the part of the country inhabited by the animal. 

 In Asia some leopards are quite black, and even in 



131 



