One of the five known species of the genus Panthera, which belongs to the Felidae family of cats, is the leopard (Panthera pardus).

Sub-Saharan Africa, some parts of Western and Central Asia, Southern Russia, the Indian subcontinent, and Southeast and East Asia are all places where it can be found. It is classified as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List because leopard populations are declining across a significant portion of its global range due to habitat loss and fragmentation.

The leopard is thought to be extinct locally in Hong Kong, Singapore, South Korea, Jordan, Morocco, Togo, the United Arab Emirates, Uzbekistan, Lebanon, Mauritania, Kuwait, Syria, Libya, Tunisia, and probably North Korea, Gambia, Laos, Lesotho, Tajikistan, Vietnam, and Israel. It is also thought to be extinct locally in Togo.

The leopard has relatively short legs, a long body, and a large skull when compared to other wild cats. Its fur is set apart with rosettes. It looks like the jaguar (Panthera onca), but it’s smaller and lighter. Its rosettes are usually smaller, more densely packed, and don’t have any central spots. Black panthers are the melancholic names for jaguars and leopards. The leopard’s well-camouflaged fur, opportunistic hunting style, extensive diet, strength, and capacity to adapt to a variety of habitats—from the rainforest to the steppe, including arid and montane regions—are what set it apart.