They are also the most versatile and unpredictable of the Panthera crew, at once stealthy and brash, antisocial and plugged in. “They have a bit of attitude to them,” said Alan M. Wilson of the Royal Veterinary College, who has studied leopard movement patterns and athletic performance. Males are night hunters and, being 50 percent bigger than females, will target big, meaty quarry like gemsbok and kudu. “The way we think about solitary cats is flawed,” Dr. Hunter said. “A male assumes that cubs in his territory are his, and he is very protective and even playful with them,” Dr. Hunter said.

Source: New York Times January 10, 2021 14:15 UTC