Habits of the Leopard. 197 



there are plenty of leopards, but they are most difficult to 

 get a shot at, as they seem to have most acute hearing. 

 Usually, when disturbed, all one will see is a flash of yellow,, 

 and they disappear into the bush or grass. They are very 

 plentiful in the Mlanje range of mountains in the south of 

 the Nyasaland Protectorate, and they find plenty of food 

 there in the shape of bushbuck, pig, and klipspringers on 

 the higher parts. 



They are easily obtained by putting out a set-gun baited 

 with part of their kill, or, better still, with a dead dog. 

 Dog-flesh seems to be most attractive to them, and many 

 a fine terrier has been taken in Africa and India by a 

 leopard. In their habits they must resemble cats,' and, 

 like them, they eat great quantities of field rats and mice, 

 and are not above filling up corners with lizards and any- 

 thing they can catch. In the breeding season they are said 

 to become bad-tempered and liable to attack man, and I 

 have heard of several man-eating leopards which haunted 

 districts near villages and killed the natives at night, 

 usually a young boy or girl, which the leopards probably 

 know are easier to kill than fully grown adults. I lately 

 treated a man who was mauled by a leopard, which jumped 

 on his back and gave him a few scratches. This man was 

 so grateful that he brought me a fowl, which is rather 

 unusual, as natives do not, as a rule, show much gratitude; 

 although the Angoni and Yaos do occasionally. Natives 

 are averse to offering thanks, but I think that in their 

 hearts they are often grateful. 



If a sportsman wishes to shoot leopards, the best plan is 

 to sit up over a kill, or try to find out where the leopard 

 goes to rest during the hours of day, and take up a position 

 to intercept it as it comes out for its nightly prowl. 

 Leopards cannot be systematically hunted by walking 

 about, even in rubber shoes, as being so close to the 

 ground they seem to be able to catch the slightest sound, 

 not only of the legs and boots rubbing against branches, 

 grass, and stones, but the vibration in the ground, which 

 must carry for some considerable distance. 



