Leopard Aware By Richard Adams Heat. Slow, enveloping heat. Not strong heat. “From above” heat. Even heat all round body. Even heat on ground. Ground all round. On ground off ground on ground all ground. The air all round. From “long way off” air. Air speaking. All kinds of speaking but first of all, “no danger” speaking. Pad pad pad pad going along pad. Draw in air cool breathe out old air. Going along pad. Draw in air cool breathe out old air warm warm air cool air warm air cool air. What? What? Air talking. What? Don’t know, but safe pad pad pad pad feel safe.
So all goes together now. In breathe out breathe air talking pad pad pad pad. Rough ground stumble stumble now smooth again under body. STOP STOP What? Conscious. New. All together smooth heat all round four pads up and down regular up and down. Breathe in air speaking all sorts of speaking. Confusion confusion but Ahhhh! Old air speak again of what? New smells too many. Stop. Sniff take them apart one by one. But this is new, dribbling into the mouth, dribble dribble drool. Spit spit it out, but what now? All together now. heat breathe sniff sniff and pad pad under pad stones pad ground soft ground speaking pad air coming in, out in out all sorts of messages from air and TEETH and CLAWS this is 16 POWER this is POWER no longer apart but all together ears hear blasted flies get away. Flies damn flies. Swift sniff nose smells nose talks nose chatter babbles mouth dribbles. Pad pad pad pad faster slower I say whether faster slower I say. Mouth bites AND TEETH snap snap. All together whatever I say. This is ME – ME – . No more one thing and another but THIS ME. I am all ONE. I AM AN ANIMAL. My teeth, my claws, my fur my nose my tail swish swish swish.
Ah now I feel. Feel from belly. Belly speaks HUNGER. Get belly food. So – sniff on the air AHHH that was quick yes air talking smell good this is the way, yes. Pads run I say pads run. Long time goes by as I run and run and run towards smell. YES I RUN but now no smell so says run slower. The THING mustn’t be frightened but this THING always frightened. Whole life frightened listen and smell. So I must go this way go away air go away smell of me pad pad STOP BELLY. CROUCH. Lie flat HEAD DOWN LOW.
Time passes slowly I creep creep but now THING now THING stop, alarmed, and sniff sniff I all drooling expectation now. Mustn’t make least noise O BLAST CRACKLE STICKS CRACKLE O BLAST STICKS UNDER ME STOP THING WARNED THING gets message THING turns turns now run. All long legs long legs all clutter of legs but for me all dash out dash out towards THING dash DASH now nothing nothing but THING all running leaping away and I running empty belly says FASTER but THING FASTER TOO I leap nothing but faster faster and THING faster but faster faster faster and THING faster but now I closer can smell THING but can smell its smell, hear its breath I am nothing but hurtling leaping claws out leap not far enough. Soft soil under claws THING AH THING SLOWER now 17 again I’m LEAPING AH CLAWS INTO SOFT FUR THING’S fur on flank and claws cling cling smell of BLOOD THING’S BLOOD THING struggles but slower slower now THING STUMBLING falls on side and I panting growling onto it all noise nothing but noise nothing but biting bloody biting. BLOOD WARM TASTE BLOOD SHLOOP DRIBBLE ALL PLEASURE GNAW TEAR GULP.
THING dying slower slower and I drooling drooling all over fur on its flank. Then rip it apart ANIMAL ALL CLAWS ALL TEETH ALL TEARING.
Now eating eating gulp swallow belly nothing but eating tearing biting. AT LAST BELLY FULL.
LYING not eating now lying across bloody fur belly had enough ah satisfaction. I Nothing but all satisfaction licking bloody claws NOW other animal come small teeth small claws coming all round me. Small animals snivelling snatching GET OFF MY PREY MY PREY BUT Come BLOODY FLIES BUZZ BUZZ snatch ahhh snap I’ll give you snap snap. Air cooler, close eyes rest FULL BELLY.
Drowsy. TIME PASSES
Small animals come WARY WARY snatch up run away come back snatch up run away thieves. Pads tired jaws tired snap yawn snap Flies oh let them have it. Drowsy. don’t want more now belly full now all right all right you can have it. Get up slowly now wandering away. Cool air light less cooler evening wash tongue lick lick clean clean blood mouth dribble blood cool air gentle but what does air say NO DANGER near drowsy sleep SLEEP.
TIME PASSES
Days nights cool on fur find water drink gulp drink. Sniff nose air speaking speaking all time now I make use of 18 wind air no danger no hunger. Thirst need drink to satisfy. Listless, here tree, climb tree. Drowse lying along thick branch. Dusk dim dusk. Hear owls hunting. New day sun smell on wind hear herd passing. Hooves. Come closer herd zebra. No interest hooves gone smell big water glitter water creep closer herd of flamingos all wings wings splat splat leap clutch blatter blatter kill only one eat.
TIME PASSES
Day air very warm. Lying easy under trees then air from up wind brings NEW SMELL. I listen to smell. Smell not go away. Smell pulls me slowly up wind.
Richard Adams
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Leopard Facts
Species: Leopard (Panthera pardus)
Location: Leopards have the widest range of any species of cat in Africa and Asia. Habitat: Leopards are superb climbers and their spotted coat ensures they are well-hidden amongst leaves and bushes.
Behaviour: Big cats must defend their home-range or territory from others. Smell is an important form of communication and big cats spray urine and rub their scent on trees and bushes around their territory, as well as leaving scratch marks, to warn others to keep away. Leopards are solitary creatures, living and hunting alone. When young, their mothers teach them the skills needed to survive on their own.
Conservation Status: Africa’s leopard subspecies are not considered in immediate danger of extinction but the IUCN1 Red List, which lists all threatened species of animals, classes Asia’s leopard subspecies as ‘Endan gered’ and ‘Critically Endangered’.
Threats: Throughout the world, countless thousands of big cats are kept in appalling conditions in zoos, circuses and private ownership. Even in modern zoos tigers, lions and other big cats repeatedly pace, frustrated because their hunting and territorial instincts are denied.
Action: Born Free Foundation has two sanctuaries in South Africa for leopards rescued from zoos, circuses and other captive facilities. The Born Free Foundation also works to campaign and raise awareness of the problems associated with keeping leopards in captivity.
To find out how you can get involved in leopard projects visit www.bornfree.org.uk/animals/leopards . 1 IUCN – The International Union for the Conservation of Nature
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