NATURAL HISTORY OF SOUTH AFRICA 



owners to herd up their cattle by night in kraals 

 adjacent to their huts, and to carefuUy guard them 

 during the daytime when out grazing. 



Even so, the leopard frequently succeeded in 

 carrying lambs, sheep, goats, and calves away 

 unobserved, or before the shepherd could come 

 to the rescue. Driven to despair, the angry natives 

 would turn out in their hundreds, armed with large 

 skin shields, spears, and kerries, and hunt down and 

 slay the beast which robbed them of what they 

 valued almost better than life itself. 



It was not until the advent of the European 

 colonist with his firearms that the leopard met 

 his master. However, even so the fight was a long 

 and arduous one, and to-day this wary, cunning, and 

 secretive cat manages not only to elude the hunter 

 in even the settled portions of the country, but 

 actually succeeds in levying a heavy toll on his sheep, 

 goats, calves, ostriches, and poultry. When hunted 

 with dogs the leopard usually takes refuge in a tree, 

 and is then easily shot. If a river bars its way to 

 safety, it does not hesitate to plunge in, for it is 

 an excellent swimmer. When cornered or wounded 

 the leopard will turn viciously upon and charge its 

 tormentors with the greatest of fury, courage, and 

 determination. Many cases are on record of hunters 

 being mauled and killed in this way. Often the 

 leopard will charge into the midst of a pack of 

 dogs and in the space of a few moments kill and 

 maim half a dozen or more. In South Africa man- 



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