HUNTING LEOPARD 65 



the latter may be. This pluckiness, combined no doubt 

 with curiosity, has been the cause of the untimely death 

 of many a household pet. In captivity it will eat almost 

 anythinf;^, but raw, finely-chopped meat and hard-boiled 

 eggs should form the staple diet. 



In the wild state it lives in colonies or family parties 

 in burrows like its near relation, the Thick-tailed Mon- 

 goose, and like it, is fond of lying basking in the sun or 

 sitting up on its hind legs near the burrows. It feeds 

 upon insects and their larvae, bulbs, as well as small 

 mammals, such as mice, &c., reptiles, birds and their 

 eggs, when procurable. It ranges from the Western 

 Cape Colony through the Karoo, Orange Free State, and 

 Namaqualand to the Southern Transvaal. It is especially 

 common in the Central Orange Free State where it may 

 often be found in fair-sized colonies on the open veld. 

 Generally two young ones are born at a time, which are 

 reared in a nest at the end of the burrow. A pair in 

 the Zoo gave birth to three half naked and blind young 

 in February, 1919. Unfortunately they did not live 

 long, as the mother insisted upon carrying them about 

 in her mouth until they were dead. 



Family FELID^. 



Feet digitigrade (viz., the animal walks on the tips of 

 the toes) with five toes on the fore, and usually four on 

 the hind, feet ; toes armed with sharp claws, which are 

 quite retractile, except in the single case of the Hunting 

 Leopard or Cheetah. Skull, short and rounded; teeth, 

 twenty-eight to thirty, with the canines strong and well 

 developed. 



