Rainforest Leopards

[Luipaard]

First report of a leopard (Panthera pardus)–bonobo (Pan paniscus) encounter at the LuiKotale study site, Democratic Republic of the Congo (link)

"A single leopard was confronted by a group of habituated bonobos for three hours. Two adult males and one adolescent female bonobo actively harassed the leopard, which remained still for most of the encounter and reacted only to close approaches by bonobos. While no predation was observed, their behaviours confirm that bonobos perceive leopards as potential predators."

An article goes further into detail:

'Flora', the bonobo that faced a leopard to impress the 'boss' (link)

"Flora climbed up the tree to get dangerously close to the leopard that threatened the group from above. She struck the nearby branches and tried to scare away the predator, which responded by displaying its white fangs threateningly. The encounter between the bonobo community and the leopard, the first to be described, could be briefly recorded by primatologists who observe this group in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Flora took the lead in facing the young leopard, supported in her thrust by two other adult males. They are two low-ranking bonobos, lacking mothers to support them in this matriarchy, and they were probably trying to impress her with the intention of gaining her appreciation for a future mating. Meanwhile, a few meters away, one of the group's leaders was quietly observing the scene. The female Paula placidly ate leaves, unfazed by the leopard's presence. This beast is one of the main threats to the survival of these great apes, always behind the furtive humans. In some chimpanzee populations, leopard predation is considered responsible for almost 40% of adult mortality cases."

*This image is copyright of its original author

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