i2 4 FLESH-EATERS OF THE LAND 



amiss to the Leopard. It plays havoc with farm stock 

 calves, sheep, goats, and young colts. It generally seizes 

 its prey by the throat, holding on until it is strangled or its 

 spine is broken. 



While civilisation has driven the lion further afield in 

 South Africa, it is different in the case of the Leopard. Its 

 numbers have been thinned, but it is difficult to exterminate 

 an animal that is so strictly nocturnal and which hides in 

 incredibly small places. It is still found even quite close to 

 some of the large towns, where there are lurking places and 

 where food is obtainable. Since the war it has increased in 

 numbers considerably, for all the Dutch farmers were en- 

 gaged in the military operations, and consequently there 

 was no one left on the farms to take the usual toll of the 

 spotted marauder. 



Although seldom a man-eater, the Leopard, when it grows 

 old, becomes a confirmed cattle-eater, hanging about the 

 outskirts of villages, hiding itself in a most effectual manner, 

 and whipping off daily at least a goat, pig, poultry, or 

 especially a dog, which it almost prefers to a baboon. Some- 

 times it has recourse to a very cunning device. It takes up 

 its quarters close to a village, showing itself rather ostenta- 

 tiously, so as to put the inhabitants on their guard. Then 

 at night it goes off to another village at some distance and 

 helps itself at leisure, the inhabitants never suspecting its 

 presence. 



On rare occasions, the Leopard does become a man- 

 eater, and is then even more dreaded than the tiger, 

 inasmuch as it can leap farther and can climb trees. Its 

 cunning, too, is greater than that of the tiger. One of these 

 animals, which for a long time baffled the hunters, used to 

 appear suddenly before a village and make an attack upon 

 it, thus drawing all the armed men and the dogs towards it. 

 The Leopard would then slink away into the bush, slip 

 round to the opposite side of the village, which was left 

 undefended, make a dash into it, snatch up a child, and 

 make its escape with its prey. It showed its cunning in 

 another way. 



As a rule the large carnivora, when they have taken prey, 

 eat to repletion and then sleep until they are again hungry, 



