Leopards have earned the admiration of many for their agility, speed and cunning and their remarkable night vision, which allows them to hunt both by day and by night. These predators are also capable of great patience, an attribute that crowns much of their efforts with success. The success of this animal as a predator, by comparison with its bigger cousins, is due to its varied diet. Although leopards generally feed on medium and small antelopes, they have also been known to feed on hyrax, baboons, foxes, fish and reptiles. There are even accounts of leopards living on a diet of insects and rodents in times of scarcity. Leopards are so adaptable that they have even been known to survive on the outskirts of towns and villages! Being a solitary hunter, the leopard has to make quick, silent and efficient kills or run the risk of attracting other predators. The leopard usually kills by administering a fatal bite to the throat of the prey, which tears the windpipe. After feeding to the full, the leopard often hides its kill from scavengers by burying or covering it and returns to it to feed again when it is hungry.

Leopards are also known to haul their kills up a tree, especially in areas where there is competition from other predators such as lion and hyena. This behaviour is further evidence of this animal’s intelligence.

Leopards make many sounds such as rasping, grunting and mewing. All these sounds communicate different messages, e.g. proclaiming their territory, making mating calls and expressing aggression. Leopards also proclaim their territory by leaving scent markings. Leopards can be viewed in their natural habitat in a number of game reserves in South Africa. These include the Kruger National Park in Mpumalanga and Pilanesberg National Park in the North West Province. There are isolated leopard populations in the Drakensberg Mountain Range and leopards can be seen on many private game reserves and farms throughout South Africa.

Lions are opportunistic hunters and will kill and feed on just about any animal. They prey mostly on large mammals such as wildebeest, springbok, impala and zebra, but they have also been known to hunt massive and dangerous prey such as buffaloes, hippopotami, juvenile elephants, giraffes and rhinoceroses. An interesting fact is that they are scavengers too and, when the opportunity presents itself, will feed on carrion. Being the biggest predator, they often use their imposing size to bully other predators and take their kill from them.

Lions are social animals and are the most cooperative of all the big cats. The females hunt and look after their young together, forming prides. Lion cubs are born after a gestation period of 14 to 15 weeks. They are born in well-hidden lairs, carefully selected by their mother, and only join the pride after about five weeks.

The roar of the lion is an impressive sound and perhaps the sound most associated with the African wild. Apart from roaring, lions also communicate by scent-marking their surroundings, and even by their facial expressions and body postures. Lions display their aggression by showing their impressive canine teeth, retracting their ears and displaying the dark patch behind the ears, their tails twitching in irritation. Anyone meeting a lion in this mood would be well advised to beat a hasty retreat. Sadly, sub-Saharan Africa is the last refuge of these supreme animals and South Africa offers some of the best opportunities to view lions in their natural habitat. The world renowned Kruger National Park is home to a number of lion prides and lions are found in several other game reserves and private farms all over the country.

Nature’s tank that will charge anything, even a train, at a speed of an astounding 60 km/h – an apt description of the black rhinoceros. This animal has a reputation for a short temper, in contrast to its more gentle-tempered cousin, the white rhinoceros. Unfortunately, the black rhinoceros is critically endangered and is on the IUCN red list. However, South Africa has achieved some significant successes in saving this animal. An adult black rhinoceros stands about 1, 7 metres high at the shoulder and can weigh up to 1,2 tons. It has thick grey skin and two horns on its face. The black rhinoceros has pointed lips, which are adapted to eating shrubs and woody plants, a marked difference from the more squarely shaped lips of the white rhinoceros.

Black rhinoceros calves are born after a gestation period of 15 months. Usually only a single calf, weighing about 40 kg, is born, The calf will remain with its mother for two to three years. Black rhinoceroses are generally solitary animals. However, younger rhinoceroses are often seen in small social groups, formed for security and, occasionally, a young bull is seen in the company of an older bull. Females are often accompanied by a calf and by another youngster.
The second youngster may be her elder offspring, or just a lonely youngster, seeking security.

Rhinoceroses, like most pachyderms, love to wallow in muddy pools, keeping their skins cool and protecting them from parasites. During the hottest periods of the day, they usually seek shelter under trees and tall bushes. South African conservation bodies have fought a brave battle to save this species from extinction after poachers nearly wiped them out totally. Today, the black rhinoceros is making a slow, but steady recovery. South Africa houses the largest population of these herbivores in Africa and the black rhinoceros can be seen in some game reserves of KwaZulu-Natal and in the Pilanesberg National Park in the North West Province. They are also to be found in private game reserves around the country.

White rhinoceros males are territorial. Each dominant male has his own territory, which encompasses several females and a few subordinate males. Only the dominant male will mate with the females within his territory. Should there be no water in his territory, he will cross into another male’s territory for a drink but, while there, will act submissively towards the dominant male. Territorial boundaries are marked by urine sprayed on the perimeter.

Both white and black rhinoceros make similar sounds. They bellow, snort, grunt, mew, shriek when frightened and can also snarl. The rescue of the white rhinoceros from the brink of extinction is one of the great success stories of South African nature conservation. Today, they thrive in reserves such as the Kruger, Umfolozi or Pilanesberg national Parks and in some private game reserves.