- Family: Member of the Big Cat genus Panthera (Tiger, Lion, Jaguar, Leopard, Snow Leopard).
- Characteristics:
- Smallest of the Panthera species.
- Highly adaptable, inhabiting diverse ecosystems.
- Nocturnal carnivore, preying on deer, boar, and other small herbivores.
- Melanism (black skin with faint spots) : such leopards are called Black Panthers.
- Habitat:
- Found across Sub-Saharan Africa, West & Central Asia, Indian subcontinent, and Southeast to East Asia.
- The Indian Leopard (P. p. fusca) is widely distributed across India.
- Major Threats:
- Poaching for skin and body parts
- Habitat loss & fragmentation
- Human–Leopard conflict
● Conservation Status:
- IUCN Red List: Vulnerable
- CITES: Appendix I
- Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972: Schedule I
