TIME: Cats Up Close (3)

ANUP SHAH/TAXI/GETTYONE

CATS UP CLOSE


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LEOPARD
(Panthera pardus)
LENGTH 39 in. to 59 in.
MAXIMUM WEIGHT 132 lbs.
EST. POP. More than 300,000 STATUS Abundant in eastern and southern Africa and parts of Asia; critically endangered in North Africa, parts of West Africa, the Middle East and some Asian countries
THREATS Poisoned and shot by farmers
HABITAT Almost anywhere except true desert and mountains above 16,400 ft.
MAN EATER? Yes
Females can mate up to 100 times a day. Stealthy and secretive. Three leopards were found living in a train station in the city of Kampala in 1990. Each leopard can be identified by its unique pattern of spots

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