What Eats Full-Grown Leopards?

The leopard, with its various subspecies, lives in Africa, India, China and Russia. Throughout this wide range it is among the top predators and is rarely hunted by any animal except humans. Several species in its range can, by superior size or numbers, kill a full grown leopard. No wild animal actively hunts the leopard, but a number of predators will eat it if the opportunity arises.

  1. Tigers

    • In areas of Asia, such as India and parts of China, leopards and tigers share ranges and habitats. The two large cats compete for prey in these areas and come into contact, sometimes physically. An adult tiger grows 5 feet longer from nose to tail than a leopard, and it can weigh almost 800 lbs. more. One-on-one, a tiger could easily kill a leopard and would probably feed on the cat so as not to waste a potential meal. Tigers do not often hunt a leopard, but they kill and eat almost any animal available.

    Lions

    • Lions and leopards come into contact i Africa and parts of northern India. An average adult lion grows about 2 feet longer than a leopard and outweighs it by more than 400 lbs. A lion can kill an adult leopard one-on-one. Lions hunt in family groups called prides, and if a leopard were found away from the safety of a tree, a pride would kill and eat an adult cat. Leopard cubs are also at risk from lions.

    Spotted Hyena

    • The spotted hyena and the leopard live in similar habitats in Africa. In terms of size, the adults of both species are similar, with the hyena being a few pounds heavier and more muscular. One-on-one, a leopard would probably kill a hyena. Hyenas do have powerful jaws, and a lucky bite might give the animal the edge against the leopard. These animals are pack hunters and could hunt down a leopard in the open and use strength in numbers to kill and eat it.

    African Wild Dog

    • The African wild dog and the leopard share common habitats and often come into contact. The dog is much smaller than an adult leopard and would not stand a chance one-on-one. Wild dogs generally hunt in packs of seven to 15, but sometimes as many as 100. The packs chase down large prey such as zebra and wildebeest. If a leopard became cornered by a hunting pack with no escape route, the dogs would kill and eat it using strength in numbers.