6 Interesting Facts about Leopards in Akagera National Park
6 Interesting Facts about Leopards in Akagera National Park
6 Interesting Facts about Leopards in Akagera National Park : A leopard has a golden speckled body and beautiful yet fierce hunting skills. Its personality, on the other hand, may be described as isolated, sneaky, and elusive. Leopards are a component of Rwanda’s diverse fauna. Akagera National Park, located in the north-eastern province of Rwanda, is the only site in the country where visitors stand a chance to view these big cats in their natural habitat.
6 Interesting Facts about leopards in Akagera National Park.
- Track Leopards around Magashi Camp Area in Akagera National Park.
Leopards in Akagera National Park can easily be sited around Magashi Tented Camp area in the national park. The leopard population in Rwanda’s Akagera National Park is only believed to be between 15-20 animals, which have been observed surrounding the Magashi Tented Resort, a luxury safari camp overlooking the national park’s expanses. It is also the greatest site to stay if you want to photograph the elusive Leopards in Akagera National Park.
Leopards are among the most difficult creatures to track and discover in Akagera National Park because they are solitary animals that walk extremely softly and travel in unpredictable ways. Although they may utilize game pathways and roads, they frequently walk through tall grass or thickets where their path is less clear.
Leopard tracking in Rwanda’s Akagera National Park is dependent on evidence and hints left behind by the leopards, such as tracks and feces. The tracker must predict the animal’s movements, understand other animal and bird sounds, and distinguish extremely thin ground traces. If a leopard notices the tracker, it may squat, letting the person to pass by fully oblivious of its presence just meters away.
Patience and calm are the driving principles of leopard habituation within Akagera National Park, therefore trackers take great care to find them without the animal being aware of them.
- Leopards are Solitary animals
Leopards in Akagera National Park are solitary creatures, which is typical of the cat family, with the exception of lions, which live in prides. If you see two leopards walking together, the other is a female, and it is mating season. The fragrance of her territorial marks, such as her urine, communicates a female leopard’s desire to mate. For four, five, or six days, they will mate 70 to 100 times each day and even hunt together. This will be followed by a three-month gestation period and the birth of cubs, only two or three of which will survive. Following this, the male leopard may return to its solitary existence.
- Leopards can be picky eaters
This is one of the most fascinating facts about leopards in Akagera national park that many people do not know. The variety of their carnivorous food has aided their survival in the wild. They may consume practically any vertebrate, including reptiles, fish, warthogs, zebras, antelopes, and wildebeest. They do, however, favour medium-sized animals such as antelopes. They receive the water content they need to survive from their prey, making it possible for them to go for days without drinking.
- Leopards are the smallest of the Big cat family
Their stature may have contributed to them being the most nimble climbers of all the huge cats. Their habitat is largely trees, where they can avoid the noon sun and consume their prey in privacy. They may grow to be 3 to 6.2 feet in length, with their tail contributing around 99 centimeters to their overall length. The male and female leopards weigh differently, with the male weighing 36 to 75 kilograms and the female weighing 21 to 60 kilograms. Leopards’ strength has nothing to do with the fact that they are the smallest members of their family. They can carry up to 50 kg of prey up a tree by themselves.
- Leopards in Akagera National Park are really flexible creatures
They can live in any sort of environment, which is why they may be found in numerous parks around Uganda. Leopards can survive in any environment, whether it is a rainforest, a woodland, savanna grassland, mountains, shrub regions, or marshy places. This distinguishes them from other members of the big cat family, such as the lion, which seeks to capture territory near water supplies in order to thrive.
- Leopards are ambush predators
Leopards in Akagera national park stalk their prey from a few meters away, ready to ambush if the prey moves in the leopard’s direction. When it gets close enough to the target, it kills it in one rapid yet violent action, generally by gripping the neck and shattering it. A single swat of the paw is all that is required for smaller creatures such as rats. The leopard’s speed may reach 35 miles per hour, which is a significant advantage in the leopard’s hunting industry. Hunting for leopard pups begins at the age of 3 to 4 months and becomes more refined with time.
Other wildlife animals to look out for during your Rwanda wildlife safari in Akagera National Park include; lions, buffaloes, rhinos, Sitatunga, giraffes, zebras, waterbucks, impalas and other antelope species.
Interesting activities to do during your Rwanda safaris in Akagera National Park include; a boat cruise on Lake Ihema, Guided game drive safari, bird watching, Behind the Scenes, Walk the line tour, and cultural community tours.
For bookings, contact info@akageranationalparkrwanda.org and get the best offers on Rwanda Safaris.
