XXI 



THE LEOPARD 



THE leopard is, no doubt, the most dangerous and 

 most formidable beast of prey in East Africa. It 

 is u1:)iquitous, "everywhere and nowhere," much more 

 so than the lion. Leopards are often hunted and killed 

 by lions. 



In spite of its strikingly colored and spotted fur, the 

 leopard becomes often so completely one with its sur- 

 roundings that it may be easily overlooked even when 

 one is on the lookout for it and passes it at close range. 



The leopard has no decided preference for any special 

 locality; its haunts may be found anywhere, on rocky 

 ground as well as in wooded districts^in fact, wherever 

 it finds sufficient cover. 



It easily climbs trees, and often hides during a hot 

 day in their shady tops. To my personal knowledge 

 men were jumped on and killed by beasts concealed in 

 the foliage — as in the case of a negro, for instance, who 

 was about to climl) a mango-tree. 



The lightning-like rapidity with which a leopard 

 moves, charging or running away, defies description. 



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