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Leopard cubs can follow their mother on hunting trips when they are just about two to three months old. The mother leopard leads the way as she moves through the underbrush in search of prey. She holds her long tail straight up, so that the furry white tip can be seen above the tall grasses. The cubs will not get lost by keeping track of the white tip of their mother’s tail.
Juvenile leopards are starting to pick up hunting skills they will need the most to be able to survive in the wild from their mothers. At first, juvenile leopards practice the hunting skills of stalking, pouncing or sneaking up on each other. Then, the mother leopard brings small live prey back, such as a cane rat or a bird, for her offspring to practice stalking, catching, and killing. Juvenile leopards also learn how to hide and avoid from enemies. To protect themselves from predators, juvenile leopards develop excellent tree-climbing skills at an early age. Later, juvenile leopards stalk and catch small prey, such as frogs, grasshoppers, and lizards, and then, mice, rats, and so forth on their own.
Usually, juvenile leopards do not begin to kill larger prey until about seven months of age when their permanent canine teeth appear. Before the age of one, they hunt and kill some small- to medium-sized prey under the close surveillance of their mother.
Juvenile Leopard
