‘Leopards’ (II)
This week, we’ll continue with the remaining parts of ‘Leopards’ by Claire Throp Published by Raintree.
9. Leopards have babies from an average of 2.5 years old until they’re about 8.5. Wild leopards can live to the age of 10–12, although the oldest known leopard reached the age of 17. In captivity, leopards can live longer, up to 23 years.
10. Leopards are mainly nocturnal and spend their days resting or sleeping. They are generally solitary animals, only coming together for a short time to mate. If they meet apart from that, there can often be fights.
11. Leopards can swim and sometimes hunt in the water, eating fish and crabs. They also like to play in water.
12. Leopards are usually silent, but they can growl and spit if really angry. They can cough to warn other leopards to keep away and they can purr when they are content or eating.
13. Nowadays, ‘trophy hunting’ continues. Leopard skin rugs, coats from leopards’ fur, and other such trophies are desired by some people. This trade is illegal but still goes on in secret on the black market.
14. Canned hunting is a legal practice where leopards are bred specifically for hunting. They are often kept in enclosed areas with electric fencing so that they cannot escape from the hunters.
15. If you want to help save leopards, you could donate some pocket money, join a conservation group, such as WWF, or even sponsor a leopard.
Source: https://artuk.org/discover/artworks/grassington-22987/search/actor:coxon-raymond-james-18961997/page/2/view_as/grid
Source: https://artuk.org/discover/artworks/cwm-penant-201684/search/actor:coxon-raymond-james-18961997/page/2/view_as/grid
