Modern Weights and Measurements of Leopards

[chui_]

(09-04-2019, 12:14 AM)Pckts Wrote: Body and Skull Protocol for Trophy hunts through the SCI

"2. Measurements (included on hunt return form)
The following body measurements should be taken for every lion and leopard trophy before the animal is skinned:
a) Body length (cm, tip of nose to tip of tail; Measurement A–C)
b) Shoulder height (cm, tip of scapula to end of forepaw; Measurement E)
c) Neck circumference - only for leopard (cm, immediately behind the ear; Measurement D)
Figure 1: Body measurements to be taken for each trophy before skinning.

The following skull measurements should be taken once the skull has been cleaned.
a) Skull length (mm, greatest length of skull, measured as a straight line between pegs)
b) Skull width (mm, greatest width measured across zygomatic arches)
Figure 2: Measurements of skull length and width to be taken for each trophy.
PHs and operators routinely measure skull width and height to provide an SCI rating (width + height in inches);
however, the SCI rating on its own is of limited use - the individual metrics in mm are needed to estimate age. 


Diagrams here on Page 2
https://phasa.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/2011-Protocol-for-monitoring-lion-and-leopard-sport-hunting_Final.pdf


SCI top 10 from 2014

10.

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#10A Kirk Kelso took this 18 1/16″ leopard at Malipati, Zimbabwe in 2005.

*This image is copyright of its original author

#10B This 18 1/16″ Leopard was taken in 2013 near Shangani, Zimbabwe by Paulo Augusto De Maria Botelho.

9.

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#9A R. Jody Adams tied the number 9 spot with this nice leopard near Khomas, Namibia. It measures 18 2/16

*This image is copyright of its original author

#9B David Tofte took this beauty near Limpopo, RSA in 2014. It measures 18 2/16″

8.

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#8A William Mosesian took this magnificent leopard in 1975 in the Luangwa Valley, Zambia. It measures 18 4/16″. Mr. Mosesian is also tied for the number 5 leopard taken in 1986 measuring 18 14/16″. Unfortunately we have no photo of his number 5 leopard.

*This image is copyright of its original author

#8B B.H. Smith took this number 8 Ranked cat in Khomas,Namibia in 2008. It measures at 18 4/16''

7.

*This image is copyright of its original author

#7 Dr. R.E. Speegle took this leopard in central Tanzania in 1963. It measured 18 8/16″.

6.

*This image is copyright of its original author

#6 Juan Renedo Sedano took this leopard in 1982 in the Republic of South Africa. It measures 18 10/16″.

5.

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5 Kris Johnson scored this beauty in 2010 near Mabula, R.S.A. It measured 18 14/16″.

4.

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4 In 2009, Phillip Hoisington took this spotted beauty near Windhoek, Namibia. It measured 18 15/16″.

3.
Missing from the list



2.

*This image is copyright of its original author

2 Rodney A. Klein poses with his leopard taken in 2001 in Kalahari, R.S.A. It measures 19 10/16″

1.

*This image is copyright of its original author

1 Steven Chancellor took the number 1 leopard in 1997 in Okavango, Botswana. This magnificent cat scored 19 11/16″.

https://huntforever.org/2014/12/30/sci-top-ten-african-leopard/

The SCI records are a joke. Although, I'm sure some of those leopards were genuinely huge with 17"+ skulls, there's clearly a lot of exaggeration going on. For example, I just don't buy that the all time number 2 leopard killed by Rodney Klein had a 19 10/16" skull. That leopard barely looks mediocre in size and proportions yet we're suppose to believe it had a skull bigger than that of an adult lioness.

For SCI and Rowland Ward hunting records, you have to take everything with a grain of salt and look at the source of each individual record on its own. There are certainly some very reliable professional hunters (Wayne Grant for example) who provide very accurate info on the leopards they've hunted. But we can't rely on SCI to do that for us, they've done a terrible job. Which is really unfortunate because a lot of these huge specimens being killed are then lost in a sea of exaggerations and provide no useful data. 

The Boone and Crockett records on the other hand appear to be of excellent credibility. But unfortunately they only cover North American animals. Reply