Seeing leopards in the wild is a challenging task: their numbers are low, and they lead a secretive lifestyle. However, with the help of surveillance cameras, this task becomes more achievable.
A group of researchers from the University of Copenhagen, together with scientists from Italy, the USA, and Switzerland, set up 164 cameras in the tropical forests of Tanzania, covering an area of 2500 km2.
The cameras operated for 10 months, during which they captured images of leopards. There is a belief that these animals are active at dusk. However, it turned out that there is an important aspect: female leopards hunt from early morning until late evening, and also a bit at sunset, while males prefer to hunt deep at night.
Both male and female leopards are active at different times of the day compared to baboons, which are their main prey, and spotted hyenas, which represent competition.
This daily routine apparently contributes to successful foraging (hunting resting monkeys is easier) and helps avoid conflicts both with hyenas and among themselves.
