A Leopard Navigates Motherhood

It's Mother's Day in many countries this weekend! Panthera is celebrating cat-style.

As a conservationist and photographer, I've been lucky enough to witness many intimate big cat family moments. This day brought some of my favorites — between a leopard and her nearly grown male cub.

As leopards are some of the ultimate "single moms" of the cat world, they know all too well that it isn’t always easy being mom.

I spotted this pair in South Africa's Kruger National Park playing out the intricacies of the mother-offspring relationship.

Play is an important part of the development of any young hunter, but wrestling with an experienced, fully grown leopard is not for the faint of heart. This mother leopard teaches her offspring the importance of a neck-bite when taking down prey, and like any good mother, she is willing to be the bait.

In addition to being a playmate, a mother leopard has to constantly be on the lookout, both for potential prey and for potential threats. It is truly a full time job, making sure her offspring survive to adulthood and are equipped with the skills to be a successful leopard.

All of this can be exhausting and frustrating — as all moms know — and, sometimes, patience wears thin.

In the end, motherhood has many ups and downs, but cats and humans alike know there’s nothing quite like love from mom.

Learn more about leopards, the threats they face in the wild, and how Panthera fights for more sweet moments like these here.