Daily Kennebec journal., 1910-07-16
Is Said TO- Be Most
IreacheTous Beast Living.
Worse BY Far Than Either the
Lion or the Tiger.
hard to Capture and Considered
Dangerous Beast.


and dangerous beast is less often seen
than far rarer animals. 1t is widely
spread over the world from the Cape
of Good Hope to the Atlas Mountains
and from Southern China to the Black
Sea where it is sometimes met with in
the Caucasus.
Anyone who has frequented the Zoo
for any time must have noticed the
difference in size and color between
leopards from different parts of the
world. On some the ground color is
almost white. in others a clear nut
brown. Others are jet black
Wherever they live leopards are cat
tie thieves. sheep thieves. dog thieves
and human being thieves. Though
not formidable in appearance, they
are immensely strong. and it is not
unusual for them to turn man eater.
Both in India and in Africa they have
been known to set up in this line as
deliberately as any tiger. They have
four or five young at birth. The
cubs can be kept tame for some time
and are amusing pets. but it is ex
tremely dangerous to have htem about.
In Hongkong an Englishman had a
tame leopard. 1t was brought into the
dining room by a coolie to be exhib
tied to the owners guests. Excited
by the smell Of food. the leopard re-
fused to go out when one, of the la
dies, who did not like it's looks. asked
that it be removed. The coole took
hold of its collar and began to haul it
out. 1t seized him by the neck. bit
it through and in minute the coolie
diving rnVpro6 With blood the
dining-roO floor.
The Chinese leopard ranges as far
north as the Siberian tiger, and. like
the latter, seems to grow larger the
farther north it is found. The color
of these northern lcopards is very
pale, the spots large and the fur very
long.
The natives of all countries are
unanimous in declaring that the leOp-
ard is more dangerous than the lion or
tiger. They have no fear of the
lion, providing they are not hunting
it, for it will not attack unless pro-
voked. but leopard is never to be
trusted.
In Africa a number of natives We're
firing the reeds along a stream. One
of them, a boy. being thirsty and hot,
stopped down to drink. He was i'm
mediately seized by leopard. The
boys brother, with admirable aim.
| hurled his spear at the leopard while
| the boy was in his jays. The point
separated the vertebrae of the neck
| and the leopard fell stone dead. But
the boy could not recover. The
leopards fangs had torn open his chest
and injured the lungs. The latter
were exposed to view through the cav
ity of the ribs. He died during the
night.
Leopards are essentially tree living
and nocturnal animals. Sleeping in
trees or caves by day. they are sell
dom disturbed. They do an incredi-
BILE amount of mischief among cattle,
calves. sheep and dogs being especial
ly fond of killing and eating the lat
ter
They seize their prey by the throat
and cling with their claws until they
succeed in breaking the spine or in
strangIing the victim. They have a
habit Of feeding on putrid flesh; this
makes wounds inflicted by their teeth
or claws liable to blood poisoning.
Nothing in the way of prey comes
amiss to them. from COW in the pas
ture to fowl up at roost.
In the great mountain ranges of
Central Asia the beautiful snow leop-
ard is found. 1t is a large creature,
with thick. woolly coat. and long tail
like a fur boa The color is white,
clouded with beautiful grey. like that
of an Angora cat. The edges of the
cloudings and spots are marked with
black or darker gray. The eyes are
very large. blush gray or smoke col
ored 1t lives on the wild sheep, ibex
and other mountain animals. In
captivity it is far the tamest and gen
tlest of the large carnivora. not ex-
cepting the puma. Unlike the latter
it is a sleepy. quiet animal. like do
mestic.
The West African leopard skin is
more handsome than the Asiatlc the
spots being very distinct and clear.
He and she-they usually go in
couples-are fond of hunting canton
ments and around native towns
where they pick up goat and now
and then a baby.
One night l was camped in a native
town, and after | had retired the. ma :
tives, as was their custom. were sit
ting about great fire asking my
caravan all sorts of questions. for the
African savage is the greatest gossip
in the world. Suddenly child's cry
rang out followed by a great clamor.
Rushing out to discover the cause OF
alarm, I was informed that leopard
had stolen from the darkness. and
quick as a flash had grabbed four
year-old child and made off with it.
The child was seated in the midst of
the grown men and women. The lat
ter could only lament their loss. They
knew it was useless to try to pursue
the beast into the dense bush.
The leopard is so bald that even in
daylight he will wander about town
or a white mans premises 1t is not
at all unusual to get good shot at
leopard from bungalow verandah or
mud hut door.
Wounded leopards have always
nasty temper, and it is distinctly in
advisable to follow up wounded
panther at night. The moral is. OF
course, to kill outright. With good
moon and a white goat a cool eye and
fairly heavy ball there is not much
difficulty in. "a straight kill.-Pltts-