308 THE STORY OF THE LEOPARD. 



Next to the tiger in India, and to the Hon in Africa, the leopard is the 

 most formidable flesh-eating animal to be found in either country. In its 

 liabits it differs essentially from both the lion and the tiger in that it is 

 thoroughly at home in trees, running up a. straight-stemmed and smooth- 

 barked trunk with the speed and agility of a monkey. Moreover, the leop- 

 ard is a much more active animal than the tiger, frequently taking tremen- 

 dous leaps and springs. The Indian leopard, although its powers of ofifense 

 are far inferior to those of the tiger, is in some respects a more dangerous 

 animal, as it is roused with less provocation, and is more courageous in 

 attacking those who disturb its repose. The favorite resorts of the Indian 

 leopard are rocky hills covered with scrub, among which it seeks secure 

 hiding in caves and under overhanging masses of rock. From strongholds 

 such as these the leopard in Southern and Central India watch the sur- 

 rounding country towards sunset, and descend with astonishing celerity and 

 stealth, under cover of the rocks, to cut ofif any straggling animal among 

 the herds or flocks on their return to the village at nightfall. From their 

 habit of lurking in the vicinity of the habitations of man, to prey upon cattle, 

 ponies, donkeys, sheep, goats, and dogs, leopards are frequently brought 

 into collision with Indian villagers; and a leopard being mobbed in a garden, 

 or field of sugar-cane or standing corn, from which he will charge several 

 times, and bite and claw half a dozen before he is despatched or makes his 

 escape, is no uncommon occurrence in India, 



This partiality of the leopard for dogs seems to be characteristic of the 

 animal from one end of India to the other, and there are many instances on 

 record where leopards in the hill-stations have swooped down in broad day- 

 light and carried ofif pet dogs from before the very eyes of their European 

 masters or mistresses. It is but rarely that leopards take to man-eating, but 

 instances do occur, one of which came under my notice some years ago, 

 when a leopard carried ofif a considerable number of persons from a village in 

 Kashmir. In Africa the general habits of the leopard appear to be very 

 much the same as in India, Sir Samuel Baker relating how, on one occasion, 

 a dog was carried ofif from the very middle of his camp by one of these 

 marauders. 



The. leopard has often been tamed, and, indeed, almost domesticated, 

 being permitted to range the house at will, greatly to the consternation of 

 strange visitors. This complete state of docility can, however, only take 

 place in an animal which has either been bom in captivity, or taken at so 

 early an age that its savage propensities have never had time to expand. 



