Wild Video Captures a Leopard Leaping Between Trees Like a Cirque du Soleil Performer

Written by Kirstin Harrington
Updated: October 19, 2023
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Watch This Incredible Leopard Leap!

The leopard is the most adept climber of all the large cats, pound for pound. For stronger climbing muscles, their shoulder blades even feature unique attachment points. Even while chasing prey and foraging for food, they spend the majority of their time in trees. 

In order to get at a leopard’s food, lions and hyenas will both steal it. To avoid this, they frequently store their kill in tree branches high up where it may eat somewhat safely. Their food varies according to the availability of prey, which can include animals like mice, hares, warthogs, antelopes, and monkeys as well as fish, snakes, birds, and carrion with a pungent smell.

Despite the fact that they are primarily nocturnal, solitary animals, each of them has a home base that intersects with those of its neighbors. A single male’s range frequently overlaps with the ranges of numerous females because males have a larger range. Urine and claw prints serve as range markers.

In a video uploaded to YouTube, we get to witness a leopard in the wild. The footage starts with the large cat in a tree, hoping to steer clear of the wild dogs below. African wild dogs are pack animals and frequently have the advantage of numbers, driving a leopard away from its kill or even killing the cat if it doesn’t flee. Moreover, they will kill unattended leopard cubs.

The Leap of a Lifetime

In order to stay safe from the wild dogs, this big cat has to stay in the trees. It starts to climb up the tree using its powerful muscles. Leopards can carry a carcass that is three times their weight and is estimated to be seven times stronger than humans. Females weigh 61.71 to 27.9 pounds, while male leopards normally weigh 77.2 to 143.3 pounds.

Leopard, Tree, Animal, Animal Wildlife, Animals Hunting

Seen in The Kruger National Park, South

Africa

.

©iStock.com/RichLindie

As it keeps climbing, the cat makes the decision that it needs to move to another tree. In the blink of an eye, this leopard leaps from one tree to another, as if it were a stealthy primate. It’s impressive how effortlessly the animal moves, despite its bulky body. 

They have no trouble jumping 10 feet vertically and 20 feet forward! When leopards leap from slender tree branches, these statistics become even more intriguing! They can even outrun your car because they can sprint at speeds of up to 36 miles per hour. 

To catch prey, particularly birds, they may leap and jump repeatedly. Leopards can swim well, unlike the majority of cats. Among cats, they are one of the few that enjoy the water. Thankfully, it appears as if this feline kept itself safe from the wild dogs below.

The photo featured at the top of this post is © iStock.com/lightstock


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About the Author

Kirstin is a writer at A-Z Animals primarily covering animals, news topics, fun places, and helpful tips. Kirstin has been writing on a variety of topics for over five years. She has her real estate license, along with an associates degree in another field. A resident of Minnesota, Kirstin treats her two cats (Spook and Finlay) like the children they are. She never misses an opportunity to explore a thrift store with a coffee in hand, especially if it’s a cold autumn day!

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