LEOPARD 433 



for instance, carcases weighing from 80 to 150 lb. dragged up and 

 lodged in the fork of a branch i 2 to 15 feet from the ground. When 

 returning to a ' kill,' a leopard (unlike a lion) always examines the 

 branches of the surrounding trees, and if at all suspicious makes a 

 circle round the spot before advancing to the carcase ; while if it has 

 reason to suspect interference it will at once retire. Leopards never 

 carry a carcase, but seize it by the neck and drag it exactly as does 

 a lion. They take to water readily, and are expert swimmers. The 

 cubs are born between October and December, usually two or three in 

 a litter, although I have seen four on several occasions. Possibly 

 some leopardesses may produce two litters in three years ; and in any 

 case it is evident that they are prolific animals. 



" In my opinion scant justice has been done to the leopard as an 

 object of sport. It is certainly of retiring habits, but the sportsman's 

 perseverance and skill in forest-craft should overcome this obstacle ; 

 and when it comes to fighting there is no more savage, fearless, and 

 determined animal in Africa, so that only the exercise of prompt 

 judgment and cool, steady nerve will enable the sportsman to avoid 

 an ugly mauling. There are several ways in which leopards may be 

 hunted with more or less success ; one being to attack them at a 

 carcase at early dawn. Usually they leave their ' kill ' at an earlier 

 hour than lions, although this depends in some degree whether the 

 country is much or little hunted. Watching from a platform by moon- 

 light is another plan, but this entails the greatest caution and absolute 

 silence, for their advance is so stealthy that the slightest movement 

 will be detected. If a leopard approaches and suddenly sees the 

 sportsman, believing itself unseen, it instantly retires as stealthily as it 

 came ; but if startled by a sudden movement, it bounds away with quick, 

 hoarse grunts. If the bait be placed on the sand of a river-bed, and 

 the platform built between it and the water, there is no risk of the 

 leopard circling round, and its advance over the white sand will be 

 clearly seen." 



" In Somaliland," observes Colonel H. G. C. Swayne, " the leopard- 

 skins are of exquisite softness of coat ; the height of the Somali plateaus, 

 often from 5000 to 6000 feet, accounting perhaps for their great beauty. 

 The best of all, in which the spots are so large and so closely planted 

 as to give the centre of the back almost a black appearance, are 

 obtained from the highlands of Abyssinia, the main system from which 

 spring the plateaus of Somaliland. These very handsome dark 

 leopard-skins are used in thousands by the Abyssinian soldiers as 

 cloaks. There is a very large animal inhabiting the hills which would 



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