Leopard Habitat
All About Leopard Habitat Areas
The leopard habitat for most of the big cats is in Africa, south of the Sahara desert. They are also found in savannas, lowland forests and woodlands in Southwest Asia. They can live in many different areas, and can feed on a wide variety of prey. In this way, they have adapted to having to move to other areas. They have a better chance to survive than the lion or cheetah. Leopards prefer an area where there are plenty of trees. They are amazing climbers, and can even drag heavy prey into trees to protect it.
Leopards in the Savannah are often seen lazing around in trees. They mark their areas of territory by secretions, urine, feces and scratches. The territories of the male are usually larger than the females'. In fact, the areas of the male may overlap several different females' areas.
Several hundred years ago, the leopard habitat used to cross over the entire globe, but then men disturbed them and thus began the decline of what used to be the most widely distributed wild cat.
There is still a goodly number of these big cats south of the Sahara. There are plenty of areas there to support the leopard habitat. Some of the cats also live in conservation areas, where they are protected.
Outside of Africa, their decline has been steady and shocking. Most of the populations of leopards in places other than Africa and India are endangered at a critical level.
The Amur leopard is now confined to Russia's Sikhote-Alin mountain range. There are less than thirty of these cats left in this country.
The Barbary leopard lives in Northwest Africa, in the Atlas mountains. It is estimated that there are only about two-hundred fifty left there.
The Indian leopard habitat is not in danger of being encroached upon to the extent that its ranges go across the entire country of India. This cat is at low risk of extinction.
The Sri Lanka leopard only lives in areas that are protected, so it has no native leopard habitat left. This species is critically endangered and there are less than six hundred left.
The South Arabian leopard is now confined to the foothills of Iran, Saudi Arabia and Turkmenistan. It used to wander all over the deserts of Arabia. It is endangered, as well.
The leopard population worldwide is steadily shrinking, even though the big cat is adaptable to many different types of land and climates. He is a master of camouflage, but there is only one way the big cat populations will increase. That would entail the conservation of leopard habitat and through offering long term protection. Otherwise the populations will continue to dwindle and we will lose the big cat.