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Leopards are one of the prize sightings on a safari. Stealthy and elusive, they are also surprisingly well camouflaged. The twitch of a tail may be the only give-away to a leopard resting in the branches of a tree. The leopard has the most widespread distribution of all the cats and can be found in India, Africa, China, Siberia and Korea. Leopards are generalist predators and are able to live in any habitat where there is sufficient cover and prey, including open savannah, forests, jungles, cold mountainous regions and even on the outskirts of urban areas. Leopards lead a solitary lifestyle. Males inhabit territories of 5 to 40 square km, which may overlap with the territories of several females. They are very defensive of their territory and urinate around the boundaries of their territories to warn off intruders. They are most active between sunset and sunrise.

Leopards often take their kills up into the safety of tree branches, to avoid the attention of hyenas and lions. They are incredibly strong and are capable of lifting carcasses three times their own body weight, placing them on branches over 6m high. There have been several reports of leopards hauling young giraffes into trees. They will kill small competitors such as jackals and wild cats; and the cubs of lions, cheetahs and hyenas.