Leopard Behavior - Maybe Not So Solitary...

[Bullet Safaris]

A Chess match with teeth... thats what a leopard hunt is to me. I love it, cat hunting is one of my favorite activities. I have scouted, placed and hung over 1,000 leopard baits. I have seen a lot of cats in person and I get the pleasure of monitoring and hunting many of them each season.

This was the most interesting bait of 2020. I have watched this leopard for over 2 years. He is big and dominant and I know his territory; I cross paths with him frequently.

He is exceptionally hard to hunt due to his habits. The most interesting of these is his parental habits. He seems to have an ongoing relationshipswith his cubs. Now, if you know anything about leopard or read the published biology in them, you will find that leopard are considered a solitary animal. Only females care for young until they go it alone (maximum 2 years of age or younger). Thus a 'group' of leopard will consist of a mature female and her subadult offspring. I think there may be exceptions to this and this behavior may be more than just the habits of a fatherly Tom in the wilderness of Tanzania.

This male cat has repeatedly helped raise 2 of his litters. This is rare to witness and many will probably dispute the behavior I have witnessed or explain it as something else (which I welcome). Others may have seen the same?
This is hard stuff to prove scientifically; but I have witnessed this huge male play with, tolerate, discipline, feed with and feed after his cubs on multiple occasions with the mother leopard in attendance. This male tolerates and interacts with the mother in a calm and easy way, even passing each other on the limb. She is not in heat at the time and no mating was observed. She was comfortable to exit the general area without hesitation with the male around and cubs or in the tree.

These behaviors occured with a single cub in my presence in 2018. It occurred again in 2020 with a set of cubs (one male and one female cub). The behavior was seen and documented on several occasions each year.

Is it only this Tom that behaves in this way? I have learned in my short life things are not as unique as you may think...in general its happened before! Especially with Mother Nature.

To me its pretty interesting stuff and may rewrite a small part on the biology on this elusive and adaptive predator.

- Nathan Askew

 

[PHOENIX PHIL]

Interesting read Nathan, thanks for posting. I'm guessing this wasn't the first and second time a male acted in this non-typical way, would also have to believe it won't be the last.

 

[IvW]

Only once seen that behaviour before with a large male tolerating mature cubs, very interesting and thanks for sharing.

 

[spike.t]

I remember a ph who done a lot of leopard hunting and had photos of 2 and 3 leopards basically socialising...and not a one off...probably not common but seems they can be not as solitary as thought in some circumstances...

 

[Jfet]

It would be interesting to see, if any of his male cubs carry on this characteristic.

The purpose of the scientific method is to always question a belief, a hypothesis, and particularly a theory.

You probably know more about leopards than many of those that work in the ivory halls of academia.

 

[CAustin]

View attachment 393573

A Chess match with teeth... thats what a leopard hunt is to me. I love it, cat hunting is one of my favorite activities. I have scouted, placed and hung over 1,000 leopard baits. I have seen a lot of cats in person and I get the pleasure of monitoring and hunting many of them each season.

This was the most interesting bait of 2020. I have watched this leopard for over 2 years. He is big and dominant and I know his territory; I cross paths with him frequently.

He is exceptionally hard to hunt due to his habits. The most interesting of these is his parental habits. He seems to have an ongoing relationshipswith his cubs. Now, if you know anything about leopard or read the published biology in them, you will find that leopard are considered a solitary animal. Only females care for young until they go it alone (maximum 2 years of age or younger). Thus a 'group' of leopard will consist of a mature female and her subadult offspring. I think there may be exceptions to this and this behavior may be more than just the habits of a fatherly Tom in the wilderness of Tanzania.

This male cat has repeatedly helped raise 2 of his litters. This is rare to witness and many will probably dispute the behavior I have witnessed or explain it as something else (which I welcome). Others may have seen the same?
This is hard stuff to prove scientifically; but I have witnessed this huge male play with, tolerate, discipline, feed with and feed after his cubs on multiple occasions with the mother leopard in attendance. This male tolerates and interacts with the mother in a calm and easy way, even passing each other on the limb. She is not in heat at the time and no mating was observed. She was comfortable to exit the general area without hesitation with the male around and cubs or in the tree.

These behaviors occured with a single cub in my presence in 2018. It occurred again in 2020 with a set of cubs (one male and one female cub). The behavior was seen and documented on several occasions each year.

Is it only this Tom that behaves in this way? I have learned in my short life things are not as unique as you may think...in general its happened before! Especially with Mother Nature.

To me its pretty interesting stuff and may rewrite a small part on the biology on this elusive and adaptive predator.

- Nathan Askew

Now that sir is amazing.

 

[Bullet Safaris]

Here we have some scolding... or discipline. Reminds me of my early days!

 

[R.M.C.]

Looks like a complicated relationship with that group lol very interesting and a good read!!! Thanks!!!

 

[Bullet Safaris]

Interesting read Nathan, thanks for posting. I'm guessing this wasn't the first and second time a male acted in this non-typical way, would also have to believe it won't be the last.

Agreed, not the first or the last.

IMO This will eventually surface as typical behavior in the scientific record. It also makes sense biologically speaking.

The more you know...

 

[mark-hunter]

This one would be a shame to shoot!
Thanks for sharing this!

 

[Wyatt Smith]

Fascinating! Thanks for sharing.

 

[Bullet Safaris]

It would be interesting to see, if any of his male cubs carry on this characteristic.

The purpose of the scientific method is to always question a belief, a hypothesis, and particularly a theory.

You probably know more about leopards than many of those that work in the ivory halls of academia.

Thank you.
We are blessed to see this type of stuff.
Very lucky to have pictures of it.
I have additional records of this in my archives and this will add up to a bigger article soon!

 

[Wheels]

Very interesting Nathan. Thanks for the education.

 

[Bullet Safaris]

This one would be a shame to shoot!
Thanks for sharing this!

Yep, agreed. I might be getting too close to my job! I like this cat.
But!
His time may come at the hand of a conservationist hunter, it may not... either way he is a dandy and doing his part out there in the wild.