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

Written by Kirstin Harrington
Updated: April 27, 2023
© iStock.com/lightstock
Share this post on:

Key Points

  • Leopards are impressively light and agile, yet powerful and are capable of carrying prey which is thrice their weight.
  • They are capable of leaping 10 feet vertically and 20 feet horizontally.
  • Leopards also have the distinction of preferring to spend their time in trees.

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.

Only The Top 1% Can Ace our Animal Quizzes

Think You Can?

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. Be sure to scroll down to watch this incredible video! 

Up Next:

More from A-Z Animals


The Featured Image

leopard
wild african leopard looking down from a branch of a tree
© iStock.com/lightstock

Share this post on:
About the Author

When she's not busy playing with her several guinea pigs or her cat Finlay Kirstin is writing articles to help other pet owners. She's also a REALTOR® in the Twin Cities and is passionate about social justice. There's nothing that beats a rainy day with a warm cup of tea and Frank Sinatra on vinyl for this millennial.

Thank you for reading! Have some feedback for us? Contact the AZ Animals editorial team.