Leopards are great climbers. They are not just good at climbing but also feel at home in the solace of treetops. Here, they will rest in the branches, or even drag their prey up, away from the threat of other predators, and scavengers.
Trees might be their sleeping place for the night, and in this instance, a place to exercise their playful qualities.
When Mark and his fellow travelers came across this leopard, he had chosen a tree as the stage from which to show forth his special qualities. What ensued was a moment of magical viewing. The young leopard allowed the game viewers into his world for that moment, and they enjoyed his exuberance and beauty.
Young, playful leopard ventures into treetops
For this young leopard it was ‘play time’, and he had chosen to make the tree something of a jungle gym for the day. His antics in the tree put his natural agility and his innate curiosity on display.
He might have been alone, but he certainly had enough character to keep himself company.
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He used his strong, muscular structure and sharp, retractable claws to navigate his way up the trunk, which supported thick branches.
Having scaled the heights of the tree, he then peeped down to observe what was happening on the ground below.
When this failed to hold his interest, he then decided to explore the tree further.
Tree becomes a jungle gym of sorts for young leopard
This meant prodding and poking with outstretched paws but it also meant climbing further. This leopard was determined to leave no part of the tree unexplored. It was evident that he was up for an adventure.
He showed great agility and strength, leaping across the branches as though they were giant footpaths. He remained steady on his paws, and showed no fear of falling.
It wasn’t just that he was adept at climbing. Climbing was what he was built for.
Leopard explores maze of branches
He climbed up into the branches until, to spectators, he became a mere silhouette high up in the foliage. His rosette spots kept him well camouflaged and it might’ve been easy to miss him there in the branches, had you not spotted him earlier, while he was scaling the trunk.
This is because, leopards are as adept at camouflage as they are at climbing.
Young leopards tend to be especially playful, using branches as a kind of jungle gym.
These playful behaviours in the branches of a tree help the leopard to develop the skills it will later need for stalking prey or escaping danger.
Trees also offer a secure space for young leopards, keeping them out of reach of ground predators like hyenas or lions. A leopard cub might use the moment to practice mock stalking or pouncing on a branch, much like it would on prey in the future.
Watching such a moment was endearing for Mark, as it provided a glimpse into the development of one of Africa’s most stealthy and powerful big cats.