Leopards are solitary, nocturnal carnivores that are highly territorial, marking their territory with scent and by scratching tree trunks. They are comfortable in the lower canopies of trees, often taking their prey there to feed in safety. Leopards are competent swimmers and enjoy spending time in water. When hunting, they can reach speeds of up to 60 km/h in short bursts, leap over 6 metres in length and 3 metres in height—truly remarkable athletes. Interestingly, they do not need to drink water, obtaining all the moisture they require from their prey.
There are nine recognised subspecies, which specialists can distinguish by their unique coat patterns. Their geographic range extends from Southern Africa and the Arabian Peninsula to Sri Lanka and China, but populations are currently in steep decline. The species is listed as Vulnerable (VU) on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species and appears in Appendix I of CITES. Its main threats are human-related, including hunting and habitat destruction due to construction, roads, dams, wars, fires, mining, and agriculture.
The Museum holds six specimens of this species: three from Angola and three with no provenance information, only known to have arrived before 1928, as they are referenced in the Catalogue des Carnivores existants dans les collections du Muséum Zoologique de Coimbra.
This specimen can be seen in the permanent exhibition “VISTO DE COIMBRA – OS JESUÍTAS ENTRE PORTUGAL E O MUNDO” at the Chimico Laboratory of the University of Coimbra Science Museum.