The Leopard - the name change, more about the animal
Misunderstood and persecuted, the key is to change that so it's vital that leopards are more positively perceived - most importantly their magnificence recognized. I'm determined we make that change.
My Substack is now called simply ‘The Leopard’ - the name change was timed to be around the time of International Leopard Day and also in accordance with a ten year plan to improve life for this animal.
Leopards have a power it’s hard to describe. I’ve witnessed agility combined with intelligence that has stunned me. There are moments etched in my memory that instantly reconnect me to this animal when my thoughts go there. For a long time though the connection has been absolute, I think forged by the horror of the seizure of 109 leopard skins in Kathmandu, Nepal, while I was enduring hot, steamy jungles in India more in the name of another big cat, the tiger. I was in Kathmandu shortly after the seizure, while making inquiries I felt like I had been gripped by a powerful force of the need to put things right. More than two decades on I think the connection is deeper than ever, the leopard while still a mystery in so many ways, has taught me more about the world we live in than anything else. I’ve looked into the eyes of nature’s perfection many times, each one of those is a reminder of what we must do.
Compare the image at the top to the image below:
I can’t remember who sent me the incredible shot of sibling leopards at play, I’m a couple of days walk from my hard drives safely kept in a mountain village, I will access the file to see where this beautiful image came from. The vitality and sheer expression of nature, it’s very leopard that image, very leopard.
The other image is from the archives I have with me at the moment, on a drive with hundreds of files regarding leopards dead because of snares or poisoning. This particular leopard was killed in western Nepal a couple of years ago, one of several in a series of incidents which at the time left me in a constant head shake. Going through files for the Blood of the Leopard report has meant some painful memories. For someone who has only awe for these animals, seeing them like this makes me uneasy but determined.
I’ve mentioned in previous blogs that at every incident I wonder what pain the leopard went through before passing away. I’ve done this with animals since I was a small child. It’s a trait I sometimes wish I didn’t have but at the same time I know it helps drive me. The human treatment of wild animals is coming under more and more scrutiny, as it should be. Having empathy with the non-human has never been more important.
For now though, even though unfortunately much of my work is shaped around how leopards are being persecuted, here at Substack I want to focus more on how these amazing cats live. This focus will of course include the human induced challenges, there is much wider awareness of those issues needed but I’m also going to be relating more about the wonder of the leopard in the hope that people will be inspired to become leopard champions.
I’ll keep saying, writing, putting it out there, the leopard needs champions.
Left to their own devices though, these great cats are nature’s paradox - both elusive and commanding, a silent force that rules the wild with unmatched grace. They move like liquid gold through dense forests, rocky terrain, and open savannas, blending so seamlessly with their surroundings that they often seem to vanish before the eyes. Their adaptability is astonishing: unlike most big cats, leopards thrive in a variety of environments, from the incredibly tough mountain forests of the Himalaya to what is left of the humid jungles of South and Southeast Asia while of course through so many different terrains on the African continent and into lands previously known as Persia. They are lone wanderers, strategic hunters, and masters of survival, embodying a raw, untamed intelligence that makes them one of the most remarkable predators in the animal world.
What sets leopards apart is not only their physical prowess but also their stealth and independence. Unlike lions, who depend on their pride, leopards operate as solitary beings, carving out territories that can stretch for vast distances and defending those areas with quiet strength. They don’t just rely on brute force; they are thinkers, problem solvers, opportunists. A leopard’s ability to haul prey twice its weight up a tree demonstrates raw power, but it also reveals a profound understanding of safety - keeping kills away from scavengers like hyenas and also from relatives like the tiger, the big striped cat has very little tolerance for its spotted cousin, the leopard must be truly vigilant. The adaptability of leopards extends beyond actual hunting strategies, their very diet is the most varied among big cats, enabling them to endure in environments where others might struggle.
Perhaps the most awe-inspiring aspect of leopards, as I’ve touched on, is their mysterious nature. They are among the least seen yet most widely distributed of the big cats, appearing in folklore, myths, and legends across cultures. Their rosette-marked coats not only camouflage them in the wild but also symbolize their enigmatic existence. To truly appreciate a leopard is to acknowledge a creature that has perfected the balance of power and secrecy, resilience and beauty. Observing them, even from a distance, is witnessing a creature that defies the ordinary - an animal that is both an untouchable shadow and an undeniable force of the natural world.
It is the mystery of these animals that I want to unpack in upcoming weeks. I want you to see what I see, to feel as I feel, with regards to a living mystery in the hope that you are inspired to understand both the wonder and importance of leopards.
That word ‘importance’ is pivotal in all this.
A mixture of stories from my own experiences and regard for this animal along with words of others is the formula but the leopard has that power to transcend words, to make one take a deep breath of nature at her finest. All the attributes I’ve written about above I will be waxing lyrical. The mystery is magnificent, that is what I want you to know in a deeper way so that care comes through and together we can make sure that what we do know about this animal can be built on by generations to come, not by memories of a fallen species but by the thinking, feeling, yes, sentient being, nature intended us to coexist with.
The more we understand leopards and wildlife in general, the much less the persecution can be, I’m one hundred percent positive that is what mother nature wants.