By Obiabin Onukwugha
The Leopard (Panthera pardus) is one of the five extant species in the genus Panthera. It has a pale yellowish to dark golden fur with dark spots grouped in rosettes.
The leopard has the largest distribution of all wild cats, occurring widely in Africa, the Caucasus and Asia, although populations are fragmented and declining. It is considered to be extirpated in North Africa.
It inhabits foremost savanna and rainforest, and areas where grasslands, woodlands, and riverine forests remain largely undisturbed.
In sub-Saharan Africa, it is still numerous and surviving in marginal habitats where other large cats have disappeared.
Leopard is an opportunistic predator, hunting mostly ungulates and primates. It relies on its spotted pattern for camouflage as it stalks and ambushes its prey, which it sometimes drags up a tree.
Leopard is a solitary animal outside the mating season and when raising cubs. Both male and female leopards typically reach sexual maturity at the age 2–2.5 years. Leopards usually breed only once a year, but do not have a definite breeding season.
The male may follow a female around for several days before she is ready to breed. If she is not ready to mate when the male attempts, the female may attack her pursuer. The gestation period is approximately 3 months, and the female gives birth to a litter of 2 to 3 cubs on average.
Igbos call it “Agu”, Yorubas call it “Amotekun”, while Hausas call it “Damisa.”
In the wild, leopards live 12 to 15 years. In zoos, they live up to 23 years. By preying on weaker and unhealthy animals, Leopards help control the population of herbivores and remove the unhealthy animals from its habitat.
However, reports say Leopard is listed as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List because leopard populations are threatened by habitat loss and fragmentation, and are declining in large parts of the global range.
Leopards have had cultural roles in Ancient Greece, West Africa and modern Western culture. Also, Leopard skins have been popular in fashion.
In Greek mythology, it was a symbol of the god Dionysus, who was depicted wearing leopard skin and using leopards as means of transportation.
During the Benin Empire, the leopard was commonly represented on engravings and sculptures and was used to symbolise the power of the king or oba, since the leopard was considered the king of the forest.
The Ashanti people also used the leopard as a symbol of leadership, and only the king was permitted to have a ceremonial leopard stool.
Naturalistic leopard-like depictions appear on the coat of arms of Benin, Malawi, Somalia, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Gabon.
Why the Leopard has black spots
Once upon a time, the Leopard and fire were good friends for several years, but during this lengthy period fire never visited the leopard in spite of the regular visits the leopard paid to the fire’s house.
The leopard was very unhappy and felt cheated and less-important. One bright evening, the leopard disclosed its feelings to the fire and equally let fire to understand why it should be visited as well or their long lasting relationship comes to an end.
Fire laughed briefly and showed some degree of eagerness to please a friend that has been so nice.
Having agreed, it then told leopard that for the visit to fully materialized, there should be construction of firewood all the way before the visit will be possible.
Secondly, that a big bundle of firewood must be heaped on leopard’s compound so that it may burn on them while the visit went on.
Although it was a Herculean task, but the leopard obeyed all the instructions just to ensure that fire had no excuse.
On the evening of the visit, fire found its way to friend’s hut by burning through the firewood the leopard had arranged. They had fun during the visit until fire consumed the big bundle of firewood and had no other place to get hold of.
The leopard started running helter-skelter in search of firewood or anything that might sustain fire but found only a few grasses but fire immediately burnt them to ashes and requested for more.
When there was nothing to make fire flame, it immediately flew on the leopard’s hut and started consuming the reeds. The leopard attempted persuading friend from not burning down the hut but fire warned the leopard thoroughly.
After further attempts the leopard ran off with wounds when it discovered the friend was completely beyond control.
That is why leopard has spots. They are the scars of the wounds it suffered from fire while pleading for the hut to be spared. That is why fire also has no friend.