Animal facts for kids

Weight – The leopards weight ranges from 25kg to 90kg. Exceptional leopards of 90kg have been recorded in Sri Lanka where other large predators have never been present. Extremely large leopards can also be found in Afghanistan, Turkey, Iran and on Mt. Kenya. Most people are surprised though that the average leopard is only about the same size as a puma or cheetah.

Colour - Like the jaguar, the leopard has a spotted coat, the colour of which can vary considerably from tan, deep yellow, chestnut to red-yellow. They have many dark spots which are small on the head, neck and chest. On the shoulders, flanks and main body the spots are arranged in resettes while the leopards undercarriage is white.

Distribution – Sub Saharan Africa, Southern Asia, Western Asia, Eastern Europe including Turkey.

The leopard is the best climber among the big cats and will frequently cache its prey high up in trees where it is safe from other large carnivores such as tigers, lions and hyenas. The leopard can even lift animals about three times its own weight from the ground.

Weight – Varies considerably according to geographic location. Males from Central American rainforests averaged 57kg while females averaged 42kg, while in the Pantanal region of Brazil, males averaged 100kg and females 76kg, respectively.

Colour – The jaguar wears a magnificent spotted coat. Its basic coloration is yellow to tawny with large black rosettes changing to white on the underbelly and legs.

World Population – Roughly 15,000

Distribution – South West USA, Central America, South America

Many of the native people of South America attribute almost mystical qualities to the jaguar. Indeed, the Yanomami Indians, call it the “eater of souls”, due to the fact that they belive it consumes the spirits of the dead.

Weight – The lion is the second largest of the big cats after the tiger. Adult males typically weigh from 150kg to 200kg and females from 117kg to 160kg. The largest wild lion ever recorded tipped the scales at 311kg and was shot in Kruger park in 1936. This lion was a known man-eater!!

Colour – The normal lion colour is tawny yellow which blends in well with the dry grasses of the African plain. The mane meanwhile varies from ginger to almost black with the now extinct Barbary lion having the fullest mane of any lion species. Albino lions have been identified but must be considered extremely rare.

World Population There are about 250 Asiatic lions living in the Gir forest of India while one can estimate that between 10000 and 16000 lions remain in Africa.

Distribution – Africa – South of the Sahara.

Although very few lions ever become man-eaters, some gain great notoriety by preying on humans. The film “The Ghost and the Darkness” was actually based on the true story of man-eating lions who preyed on immigrant rail workers who were building the Mombasa to Kampala railroad in 1898. These lions known as the “man-eaters of Tsavo” killed 40 people before being shot by J.H Patterson – the engineer in charge of that section of the railroad.