Leopard

Animal Series

by Desmond Morris

The sleek, spotted leopard may be the smallest of the big cats, but its ferocity and solitary style makes lions and tigers seem puny in comparison. Lacking the social mentality of other animals, the leopard is stealthy and selfish, ambushing its prey and carrying it high into a tree where it can dine alone. Humans call leopards the “perfect predator." In  Leopard , renowned zoologist Desmond Morris seeks to show all sides of the cat, delving into the fascinating history of these incredible animals.
 
Morris examines the leopard’s athletic elegance, predatory skill, wary shyness, and cunning intelligence while also exploring the animal’s parental devotion, preference for solitude, and capacity for revenge. In addition to tracing the evolution of leopards, he considers how humans have related to the animal throughout history. Leopards, he shows, have long featured in the art, mythology, and folklore of ancient Greece, Persia, Rome, and even England, where they have not lived for several millennia. But humans and leopards do not always coexist peacefully; as Morris explains, leopards have been known to attack humans when their food is scarce or they are injured. He reveals how humans have exploited the cats, attempting to train them for circus roles, and how today some people are now making strides toward the leopard’s conservation. He also describes their rich symbolism, appearances in literature and film, and the use of the leopard print in both haute couture and down-market fashion.
 
Packed with compelling images of this amazing animal in action,  Leopard  sheds new light on these gorgeous cats.

Genres: Nonfiction

224 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2014

About the author

Desmond John Morris (born 24 January 1928) is an English zoologist, ethologist and surrealist painter, as well as a popular author in human sociobiology. He is known for his 1967 book The Naked Ape, and for his television programmes such as Zoo Time.

Reviews

[Leonca · Rating 4 out of 5]

Third I’ve read in this series, after Hyena (recommended), and Snake (very disappointing).

I’ve always been attracted to the beauty and frightening power of the leopard. Morris’ admiration for them comes through with great emotion, as he details the long history of their exploitation. Particularly interesting was the chapter on circus leopards and the crazy/brave women who couldn’t imagine doing anything but working with them.

It does go off the rails a bit when the chapter discussing art ends with a painting of a jaguar being raped by a bull. Everything else has a tight focus and then we just switch to jaguars in the strangest way imaginable.

[Boris Grozev · Rating 3 out of 5]

Dissapointingly most of the book is about how humans view leopards (in history, in art, in decoration, in circuses, etc, etc) and not about the animals themselves.

[Ryan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Finally got my hands on a copy of this. I have to confess I have a certain obsession with leopards, which are by far my favorite animal. Many seasoned naturalists with years of experience with wildlife, from Jim Corbett to Jonathan Scott and David Attenborough have paid tribute to this most respected and awesome of beasts, one that epitomizes the Perfect Predator. Indeed aside from human beings, they are the most successful large bodied land predator, and have shadowed us from the beginning as we spread out from Africa across Europe and Asia. Despite being heavily persecuted through the centuries, leopards continue to be widespread, albeit rare and are a prime candidate species to survive as the Anthropocene progresses.

But before I get too carried away lets get back to the book! Desmond Morris is well known for his astute observations on human and animal behavior, but in this piece of work he focuses instead on the many influences that leopards have had on human culture, from being worshiped in esoteric cults, hunted relentlessly for their beautiful iconic coats to their appearances on film and in circuses. Leopard trivia abound in this slim volume, which contain colorful photos of leopard artifacts from costume jewellery and carvings to paintings and recent documented instances of leopard attacks on people. Only the last couple of short chapters go into the natural history and conservation status of the species. Yet there are many other works that describe these aspects so skimming over these topics can be excused I suppose. However this does detract from it being a comprehensive work on the subject as the title would suggest.

In all, this is still a little gem of a book that is an indispensable collection to the shelf of all cat lovers like this reviewer. Now, to explore the many references to leopard films and bibliography listed at the end!

[Amy · Rating 3 out of 5]

NF Science

160 pages

An amazing animal. Morris gives us the history of the leopard, its interactions with humans, and its unique elegance, shyness and cunning.

[Paul · Rating 4 out of 5]

Would have liked more about the lives of wild leopards in addition to all the leopards in art, culture, etc but worthwhile and well written.

[Rabecca · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting, but strangely laid out.