Throughout history the leopard has been honored with attributes of power, fearlessness and intelligence. In ancient Egypt, the leopard represented the goddess Osiris.
Leopards belong to the roaring cat family. They are successful hunters and easily adapt to new environments, which is why they have managed to survive across several continents. The weight of a leopard generally ranges between 80 and 110 pounds. The color of their coat varies from a pale yellow color to a deep golden color with a spotted pattern (rosettes) that is different, like a fingerprint, for individual animals.
The habitat of the leopard varies with their location. In general, they are mostly found in thick forest areas, plains, mountains, and savannah and are known to adapt well and venture into human-populated areas. They have been found up to 5,700 meters in mountainous areas and have been found in the Himalayans up to 17,000 ft. co-existing with the snow leopard.
Black leopards are common and often erroneously referred to as "black panthers". The truth is they are not a panther and that all black panthers are actually black leopards. If you look at a black leopard in the sunlight, you will find that the coat color is actually a very dark brown and that the spots are very visible throughout the animal.
Jafar and Sinbad are the resident Black Leopards here at Big Cats of Serenity Springs. Jafar, 10, was used in fashion photography before he came here 4 years ago. Sinbad, 3, has only been with us for 1 1/2 years. Sorry, pictures of Sabrina not available yet - she's only been here for 6 months.
Liger
A Liger is a hybrid, a mix between a Lion and a Tiger. It is a relatively common combination, occurring quite often in captivity by accident, sometimes by design. They share physical characteristics of both their parents and they usually chuff like a tiger and roar like a lion. Due to "hybrid vigor," Ligers are bigger than either lions or tigers. They can weigh up to 1200 pounds!
Curly and Diesel (above) are nine years old and weigh 850 - 1000 pounds each. One of the wildest sights you will ever see is these two at dinner time! Talk about a battle of the titans!
Canadian Lynx
The Canadian Lynx is found in both Canada and Alaska, as well as in some of the northern states of the USA. He inhabits mostly forested areas, but can be found in scrub land and tundra to the north. The lynx is distinctive in appearance - with its triangular shaped, tufted ears, thick set body, long hind legs, a short, stumpy tail and large fur covered paws which help carry the cat over deep snow. The coat is a thick tawny to grey colored fur, which is often seen to have a ‘frosted’ appearance due the white tips to its fur.
In captivity, a Canadian Lynx will imprint with his first owner. This makes it very difficult (if not impossible) for the cat to bond with anyone else if he cannot live out his life with the original owner.
Meko has lived here at the ranch for 5 of his 6 years. A couple of us have nicknamed him "Snot" because he ocassionally gets so angry (see previous paragraph) that he blows snot at the nearest target.
Bobcat
The name Bobcat originated from this cat’s short tail, which is only 6 or 7 inches long. The end of its tail is always black, tipped with white, which distinguishes the Bobcat from its northern cousin, the Canadian Lynx, whose tail is tipped solid black.
The Bobcat has long legs and large paws. The average Bobcat weighs 15 to 20 pounds. The Bobcat's growls and snarls are so deep and fearsome that he can be mistaken for a cougar, especially when he is hidden.
The Bobcat's favourite food is rabbit, which may make up 90 percent of the bobcat's diet. They also hunts and eats small prey like mice, ground squirrels, chipmunks, and muskrats.
Buggsy has more than outlived his life expectancy at the age of 20. He's been at Big Cats of Serenity Springs for 9 of those years.
Serval
This Eastern African cat prefers grassland, but will be anywhere there is a sufficient water source and prey, including scrubland, forest, or even jungle. The serval is much larger than the domestic cat, weighing in at 30 – 45 pounds. He is long legged, the hind legs longer than the front legs and his neck is long. His head is small, with large, very erect ears and eyes that are a shade of amber, from deep orange-brown to pale gold. The serval's coat is yellowish-tan, with black spots, bands and stripes. The tail is ringed with black, and the underparts of the body are white or light tan.
Sorry, no pictures of Ramsus yet -- he's a bit shy.
