Asian Leopard

The Sri Lankan Leopard at Yala -Leopard (Panthera pardus, Linnaeus, 1758) is the most secretive and elusive of the large carnivores, and also the shrewdest. Pound for pound, it is the strongest climber of the larger cats and is capable of killing prey far larger than itself. However, the leopard is the smallest member of the genus Panthera, which includes the Lion, Tiger and Jaguar. Historically, the leopard had a wide distribution across eastern and southern Asia and Africa, from Siberia to South Africa, with fragmented populations in the Indian subcontinent, Sri Lanka, Indochina, Malaysia, Indonesia and China. Sadly, the range has decreased radically due to over hunting and loss of habitat.