THE LEOPARD

Aggressively self-confident

The leopard is one of Africa’s most sought-after trophies, yet it is taken relatively rarely. Its aggressive self-confidence differs drastically from the shy and elusive nature of the cheetah.

L eopards lead a solitary life. Only when the female is in heat, do they live in pairs (for a very short period). Sometimes a female with half-grown young is encountered. Contrary to popular belief, leopard are quite active during the day. They are, nevertheless, seldom seen, as they are extremely alert and can conceal themselves very well.

Leopard love rotten meat. Once they have killed larger prey, they feed on the carcass over many days, returning to the kill in the evening and leaving again in the early morning. This habit allows the hunter to purposefully hunt for leopard, which is not possible in the case of the cheetah.

Leopard can be attracted by dead bait. Once it has taken to the bait, the hunter can sit up in a hide and wait for its return. Accurate shot placement is very important, as wounded leopard are extremely dangerous.

In central Namibia, leopard on private farmland are very wary and not easily attracted to bait. Here the success rate when hunting them is not very high. The best chance is to look for a fresh kill and wait for the leopard to come.

In some of the north-eastern concessions, leopard can be hunted with high success rates by baiting them in the classical way.

These big cats occur practically throughout the country, with the highest densities in mountainous regions.

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