Watch: Leopard rasping enthrals Mpumalanga tourists
Visitors at a game reserve were treated to a special sighting when a leopard walked past their vehicle, letting out a unique territorial call.
Tourists on an evening game drive at Idube Game Reserve in Mpumalanga watched and listened in quiet fascination when a territorial leopard put on a display for them last Thursday.
Captured on video by FJ Mammes, the head guide at the reserve, the adult male leopard walked past the vehicle in silence before letting out a sudden panting groan and rubbing against the grass to scent mark his territory.
The sound, known as rasping, signals a male leopard’s presence to rivals or potential mates.
Solitary and territorial
“Leopards are solitary animals, and both male and females have their own territories.”
According to Mammes, leopards are regularly seen at the reserve, which lies within the Sabi Sand Nature Reserve in the Greater Kruger National Park.
He says leopards can mate at any time of the year, depending on when a female goes into heat. Leopards of both sexes compete with others of the same sex for territory.
Mammes explains that when a female leopard goes into heat, she typically searches for a male to mate with. If more than one male occupies her territory, she may mate with all of them. This strategy helps confuse paternity, which can reduce the risk of infanticide and increase the survival chances of her cubs.