Indian leopard

Oh to be an Indian leopard

Napping, it seems, is extremely beneficial for more reasons than one. Studies have shown that an afternoon nap can serve as a memory booster, improve performance at work, act as a mood elevator, help you relax and actually make you more alert. This flies in the face of conventional displeasure shown by the powers that be when they chance upon any poor soul napping at work. Maybe napping should be made officially permissible with 20 minute slots that one could utilise in a day without fear of being reprimanded. I personally know quite a few people who would celebrate such a move. 

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Indian leopard  | Binomial name: Panthera pardus fusca

Counted among the big cats in the animal kingdom, the elusive Indian leopard is known to be an accomplished climber, capable of dragging its kill up a tree to safer height. It is agile and can run at speeds of 58 kmph, leap over 20 feet horizontally and jump almost 10 feet vertically.  It is also adept at swimming, though not as well as the tiger.

Incidentally, leopards are seen in fewer numbers in areas with a high density of tigers, who are known to drive leopards closer to human settlement. Apart from all that competition, factors such as poaching and human-leopard conflict have led to the leopard being listed as vulnerable in the IUCN Red List. 

None of it, however, seemed to bother this particular leopard who seemed to be a firm believer in the benefits of an afternoon nap. 

Conservation Status: Vulnerable (IUCN 3.1)

Kingdom: Animalia | Class: Mammalia | Order: Carnivora | Family: Felidae

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Rahul Jauhari

An award winning creative leader, Rahul Jauhari is a well-known name in the advertising and marketing industry. He is also a passionate birder, urban farmer and wildlife warrior at heart.

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