Leopard Attack

[Mainah]

This is wild: http://news.blogs.cnn.com/2011/07/20...dia/?hpt=hp_c2

[30-30remchester]

Leapord's have been killing us 2 legged hairless apes for an eturnity. I would have to do some rereading but IIRC a leapord from Africa killed over 150 people before it killed itself by attacking a fisherman who had a spear resting over his shoulder. An excellent book "MAN IS THE PREY" details some of the world famous man killers.

[Hog Buster]

They’re not considered one of the “Big 5” because they’re timid......

[Mainah]

I was in Kenya in March, unfortunately I didn't get to see one. But we did see an Impala on a branch thirty feet up in a tree that a Leopard left, that was pretty impressive.

[WildBill45]

Leopards have made a career out of this! My friend, and legendary Africa Pro, Cotton Gordon from Colorado Springs, was mauled by a leopard, along with 3 other armed men, when they approached the wounded cat in tall grass. They had peppered it with buckshot, blindly shooting into the grass, and it never moved. Once the leopard knew they were close enough and it was not seen, it charged like a buzz saw, ripping all of them a new Rear-end-opening, if you know what I mean! It then ran off from the scene. They found it later dead, with wounds from the buckshot. Cotton Gordon was saved by quick medical attention to his deep wounds with anti-biotics. That rotten meat on the cat's claws that goes back into that sheath and rotts, will kill you in days without treatment!

I have watched leopards hunt in person from a moving Landrover at night, with a spotlight. One leopard was right next to me, but on the ground, but he was focused on following the scent of his prey ignoring the Landrover. I was nervous because leopards are so blindingly fast, I would not have had a chance, even with a pistol in hand, if he decided that I was now the prey!

Lions at least roar most of the time, but leopards don't make a peep until they know you are in a position that they can reach you ... then you are toast! They are little, but you damn well better respect them!

[lt dan]

what few people know is that bites from leopard and lion is poisonous. not in the normal sense of the word as wildbill explained. we see many attacks over here, many of whom is not life threatening due to the puncture wounds, never the less the people are admitted to intensive care wards and put on the strongest possible antibiotica. the wounds are cleaned more than once a day and even patients with few bites and scratch marks seldom checkout of hospital within a week.

[Maxem0815]

"what few people know is that bites from leopard and lion is poisonous."

Now this is a crock of $h!# I actually volunteer at the local Zoo the bite from any big cat is not poisonous. In fact the mouths of the big cats are cleaner than a humans bite. We are told if any of the big cats bites us we need to go to the hospital because it will be deep and need sutures.
These Cats live in a hot humid environment were infections are the biggest cause of death, a big cats claws are also covered with bacteria that will infect a wound in hours.
NO large Cat is poisonous DANGEROUS Hell YEA but not poisonous.

And the Vet who hunts with me found the idea absurd!

Mace

[lt dan]

oh relax! i clearly said " not in the normal sense of the word". you wanted make something of this. hope you enjoyed it.

more people over here die due to the infections than the bites/scratches that's the dam point. hence my explanation about antibiotics. or have you heard about antibiotics as n treatment for poisons?

[Skadoosh]

Maxem0815, we're not talking about house cats here. We're talking about a a big cat in the wild. Ask your vet friend about sepsis caused by bite and claw wounds from wild animals.

[Art Eatman]

Absent clawing, I'd guess that a cat's mouth is not inherently a primary source of infection. However, anything that could be infectious on the fur around the cat's mouth, or on the victim's skin or clothing could be carried into the wound by the teeth.

And let's please not get all hung up on the use of the word "poisonous".

[SurplusShooter]

Lepoards are very smart animals and must be respected and feared when hunted as you will become the hunted if not weary.

[tmlynch]

what few people know is that bites from leopard and lion is poisonous

Poisonous is not the same as venomous.

Some critters (and I think the Komodo dragon is among them) have so much bacteria and other infectious material in their mouth that their bite is poisonous, meaning it will infect you. There is no venom injection, like snakes do, though.

Regards,
Tom

[Bigfatts]

I tell you what, I would rather tango with a Lion in close quarters than a Leopard. At least with the lion it might be over in a good chomp or 2. But with the Leopard "the only big cat to use it's rear claws as weapons" to paraphrase Capstick... Imagine a hug from something that's trying to rip your face off while disembowelling you with it's rear feet. Jeesh, no thanks.

[phil mcwilliam]

Leopards were numerous in the area of Zimbabwe I was plains game hunting in 3 weeks ago. We came across tracks every day, with fresh kills found every second day while we were stalking plains game. We even saw a large male Leopard leaving a kill that we had disturbed while following the drag marks of a freshly killed impala.
My guide, Dave Amyot specialised in Leopard hunting & his bushman tracker "Augustine" was expert in reading animal sign. Augustine could tell species, sex, size of animal together with how many hours old a track was by studying it .( locating the conical sand trap of a spider ant in a fresh track was his best bet at determining age of a track, as he new how long it took the spider ant to build its trap).
Both Dave & Augustine said you would never be concerned with Leopards while out stalking plains game. Dave explained how most Leopard hunting is done over baits, with the shot being taken from a rest in a blind set up within 80 yards of the bait, after many hours of waiting.
Dave did however say that there is nothing more sobering than chasing a wounded Leopard through the thick thorns after a client had stuffed a shot. At this point Dave would swap his 416 Rigby for a Beretta semi auto 12g with buckshot.
I didn't hunt for Leopard on my plains game hunt, but I did shoot an Impala at the end of the hunt that was used for a recon bait for Leopard hunters that were to arrive in a couple of weeks.
Dave did comment on how several people he new had been mauled by Leopards- all professional hunters chasing wounded game. The wounds took ages to heal due to infection blamed moreso on claws.

[barnetmill]

big cat bites are poisonous? CROCK
"what few people know is that bites from leopard and lion is poisonous."

Now this is a crock of $h!# I actually volunteer at the local Zoo the bite from any big cat is not poisonous. In fact the mouths of the big cats are cleaner than a humans bite. We are told if any of the big cats bites us we need to go to the hospital because it will be deep and need sutures.
These Cats live in a hot humid environment were infections are the biggest cause of death, a big cats claws are also covered with bacteria that will infect a wound in hours.
.....!

Mace

I do not know about leopards, but the bite of a common house cat often causes infection. http://familydoctor.org/online/famdo...bites/203.html
By the way from the little time I spent in africa I was informed that leopards are quite capable of attacking w/o warning to cause a lot damage.

[lt dan]

Phil, if the trackers name was Augustine, i bet you 1 impala steak he is ex 32 Battalion. ie you were in some very capable hands. this suggests your ph is likely also ex military. probably also 32 or Rhodesian SAS or Selous Scouts. hope you enjoyed it.

[FrontSight]

"Chewed on by Chewie".

My first question is this: WHY does that man have his back to the cat in the first picture??

My second question is this: WHY are they so close to the cat?? No good can come from that.

There is video on youtube of a few guys getting charged, one lets off some buckshot but gets chomped on anyway, screaming like a little girl (as would I!). Pretty amazing.

And yes, their bites and scratches transfer very dangerous bacteria into wounds and, in a way, can be considered "poisonous" due to that.

By the way, scientists a couple of years ago or so found out that the Komodo Dragon actually has real venom to go along with the dangerous bacteria. I think that makes them 1 of only 3 venomous lizards in the world (gila monster & mexican beaded lizard being the other 2).