Leopards are fiercely powerful cats, as our curated selection of leopard quotes highlights. Beautiful rosettes cover their fur. The rosettes are usually black on the outermost parts, with yellow or tan on the inside. Leopards are very adaptive, and we can find them in a wide range of habitats like sub-Saharan Africa, northeast Africa, Central Asia, India, and China.
Leopards are graceful opportunistic hunters possessing a solitary nature. The wild cat is a nimble tree climber, and why not? Trees are the perfect home ground for leopards as the trees provide excellent camouflage when relaxing and privacy when snacking on their prey. A leopard can weigh between 66 to 176 pounds and reach a head-body length of 6.25ft. They can jump an astonishing 6 meters forward in the air and run up to 58km/h.
Sadly, the population of leopards around the world is on a decline. Loss of habitat, poaching, retaliatory killing, and climate change present challenges to the chances of the continued existence of leopards.
We look at some of the best leopard quotes below that explore the magnificence of the leopard and remind us that they are a part of nature, just as we are.
Related: Love leopards? Also, check out our compilation of 18 leopard facts to read up more on these incredible big cats, and you might also like our lion facts.
Quick links to our selection of leopard quotes:
"I went to South Africa on safari and came eye to eye with a beautiful leopard. We were so close; I was staring at him for a long time and I felt a recognition with my own nature."
Bai Ling is a Chinese-American actress who has won many awards to her credit, including the Best Actress award at the Los Angeles Cinema Festival of Hollywood and the 2014 Asians on Film Festival. She starred in movies like The Crow, Red Corner, Crank: High Voltage (all on Amazon), and many others, including TV shows; Entourage and Lost.
The leopard is one animal that ambitious and fiercely independent people connect to. It’s characteristic of being a loner and goal-getter, or in this instance, prey-getter, which has a reflective effect on them. This leopard quote by Ling shows how real the connection between humans and animals can be on a transcendental level.
"What does the leopard teach us? Not to be intimidated by animals that outweigh him. To be fearless and daring."
"When I was chased by a striped leopard in dense camouflage of the jungle, there was an overwhelming craving to clamber up the tree; and hide in the myriad of branches."
"I must say the African leopard is an audacious animal, although it is ungrateful of me to say a word against him, after the way he has let me off personally, and I will speak of his extreme beauty as compensation for my ingratitude."
"I really think, taken as a whole, he is the most lovely animal I have ever seen; only seeing him, in the one way you can gain a full idea of his beauty, namely in his native forest, is not an unmixed joy to a person, like myself, of a nervous disposition."
"Leopards, that is ordinary forest leopards, do not like rain and invariably seek shelter, but the man eater was not an ordinary leopard, and there was no knowing what his likes or dislikes were, or what he might or might not do."
"You don't see sick animals in the wild. You don't see lame animals in the wild, and its all because of the predator: the lion, the tiger, the leopard, all the cats."
American actress Nathalie Kay "Tippi" Hedren won the Golden Globe award for her roles in The Birds and Marnie. Her journey into animal rights activism started while shooting two films in Africa in 1969 when she gained insight into the plight of African lions. She founded the American Sanctuary Association and is still its president.
Leopards are carnivores that feed on smaller animals and fish. These predators perform the essential task of keeping the herbivore population in check. Tippi's leopard quote highlights that without the leopard's predatory check, herbivores would overpopulate their habitat and sooner or later run out of resources to survive.
But I was just really blown away that you could just buy a snow leopard. For me, it was like buying a panda bear or a Komodo dragon.
Eric V. Goode is an American entrepreneur, conservationist, and filmmaker. He is also the founder of the Turtle Conservancy, whose aim is to protect threatened turtles and tortoises and their habitats worldwide. His production “Tiger King: Murder, Mayhem, and Madness.” premiered on Netflix in March 2020.
Illegal capture of leopards for sale as exotic pets and fur is inhumane but, unfortunately, popular. According to a TRAFFIC study, poachers have stolen and illegally traded the bodies of at least four leopards every week for the past ten years in India.
We should not indiscriminately remove leopards from their natural habitat. The effect of ripping out leopards from their natural habitat can be disastrous to the animals and the ecosystem.
Snow Leopards are the ambassadors of Asia's high mountains. Conserving these endangered animals and their habitats means managing ecosystems sustainable, adapting to the impacts of climate change and maintaining water security for over a quarter of the world's people.
A Colombian, Dr. Carlos Drews is the executive vice president of Conservation of Ocean Wise. He developed a first-of-its-kind toolkit for marine turtle adaptations to climate change. His awards include the Primate Society of Great Britain’s John Napier Medal and the LiverdPress Award for his lifetime conservation achievement.
Drews' leopard quote stresses a critical fact; Leopards contribute to the ecosystem in no small measure and to care for the leopard's natural habitat is to care for our world as a whole. However strong and quick, Leopards cannot protect themselves from climate change or other human-made dangers to their habitat.
If you want to save the snow leopard, or the giant Redwoods, or the Okavango delta, or the Amazon, or the atmosphere, or the Earth, or those you love, or yourself, or the human race, this is the only path that can achieve that-so the truth is the sooner you support and adopt this path of transformation through understanding the better. The choice is self-destruction or self-discovery.
In an unsuccessful six-year search, Griffith came into the limelight for his laudable attempt to save the Tasmanian Tiger from extinction. He established a furniture company and later became the author of the international bestseller A Species In Denial (amazon). In 1993, He founded the World Transformation Movement to advance his ideas on the human condition.
This leopard quote by Griffith states that we need to understand our place in nature truly and deeply. It's the only way to show that we value what we have in nature. Discouraging poaching and other threatening activities show we understand that in nature, no element stands alone. Everyone can contribute to the welfare of the leopards.
A leopard doesn't change his spots just because you bring him in from the jungle and try to housebreak him and turn him into a pet. He may learn to sheathe his claws in order to beg a few scraps off the dinner table, and you may teach him to be a beast of burden, but it doesn't pay to forget that he'll always be what he was born: a wild animal.
George Lincoln Rockwell was a media-savvy politician with neo-Nazi views. The US Navy discharged him for his political stand. He founded the American Nazi Party after he left the Navy. John Palter murdered, a former party member, murdered Rockwell on August 25, 1967.
The best place for a leopard to live is in its natural environment, where it can be truly wild and free.
"Have you seen the snow leopard? No! Isn't that wonderful?"
"Kilimanjaro is a snow-covered mountain 19,710 feet high, and is said to be the highest mountain in Africa. Its western summit is called the Masai 'Ngaje Ngai', the House of God. Close to the western summit there is a dried and frozen carcass of a leopard. No one has explained what the leopard was seeking at that altitude."
"Snow Leopards are the ambassadors of Asia's high mountains. Conserving these endangered animals and their habitats means managing ecosystems sustainable, adapting to the impacts of climate change and maintaining water security for over a quarter of the world's people."
"The snow leopard is absolutely magnificent. It represents really what endangered species are all about."
Hanna is a zookeeper and a former director of the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium. Many credit him for working hard to change the quality and reputation of the zoo positively. He has published many books for children, as well as an autobiography titled Monkeys on the interstate.
Experts consider the snow leopard, a species of leopards found in Asia, to be in danger of extinction if we do not make intense conservation efforts. They estimate the global population to number less than 10,000 mature individuals and expect the species to decline by about 10% by 2040. The IUCN Red Lists this species as vulnerable.
"The penguin doesn't know it's cute, and the leopard seal doesn't know it's kind of big and monstrous. This is just the food chain unfolding."
"Of all the creatures in the world that really frighten me - the hyena in Africa, the great white shark - leopard seals are near the top of the list. They're killers. If my team spots one, they'll pull me out of the water."
"The leopard does not change his spots."
Shakespeare is widely regarded as having written the first leopard quote about changing their spots. Since numerous variations have cropped up:
A leopard does not change his spots, or change his feeling that spots are rather a credit.
A great novelist, Compton-Burnett, received Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire (DBE) appointment in 1967. Author of the critically acclaimed Manservant and Maidservant published in 1947, she made her mark in the world of fiction-writing by developing a distinct form of the novel set almost entirely in dialogue. She received the award of the 1955 James Tait Black Memorial Prize for her novel Mother and Son. She died in 1969.
The leopard's spot, called rosettes, is quite a thing of beauty. The spotting and pattern are unique to each animal, like a fingerprint. The black panther is a melanistic leopard, it has rosettes, but its dark fur makes it impossible to see the rosettes without being extremely close to the leopard. Compton-Burnett's leopard quote reveals the unapologetic nature of the leopard and how it carries its uniqueness with pride.
"Eye easily deceived. Same leopard can hide behind different spots."
"A leopard doesn't change his spots just because you bring him in from the jungle and try to housebreak him and turn him into a pet. He may learn to sheathe his claws in order to beg a few scraps off the dinner table, and you may teach him to be a beast of burden, but it doesn't pay to forget that he'll always be what he was born: a wild animal."
"Oh a leopard can't change his spots, And oil and water can't mix, But I have recently heard an old dog learned new tricks."
One of my desert island books, 'The Leopard' is not so much a novel as a eulogy for a way of life and a Sicily that was already lost by the time Giuseppe Tomasi di Lampedusa was writing.
Ruth Warburton, also known as Ruth Ware, is an international best-selling author. As a little girl of about eight years old, she would type out stories on her mother's old typewriter but only got to publish her first book when she was in her 30s. She classifies her writing as psychological crime thrillers. Some of her books include In a Dark, Dark Wood, The Lying Game, and The Death of Mrs Westaway (all on Amazon).
Warbuton's leopard quotes reflect that in many ways, the leopard reflects human society and nature. They care for their young ones and teach them to hunt and be self-reliant so that they can survive on their own in the future. Over the years, leopards have featured in cultures, national symbols, and socio-political movements like the Black Panther. The leopard has been an inspiration behind many artworks, books, and poetry.
"I don't have to be logical. I'm a leopard. We're considered wild animals, you know."
"In the third month, the sun rising, the Boar and the Leopard on the field of Mars to fight; The tired Leopard raises its eye to the heavens, sees an eagle playing around the sun."
"I want to go south, where there is no autumn, where the cold doesn't crouch over one like a snow-leopard waiting to pounce."
"Faraway a leopard barked that high, dissatisfied deep roar it cuts off so sharply, as if its annoyance is too great to express, can only be appeased."
"The Snow Leopard's Tale is a haunting, beautifully written, and thought-provoking tale, as all great parables are."
"The leopard is a cruel lover. His tenderness breaks the gazelle's heart."
"The Snow Leopard’s Tale is a mystical pilgrimage into that wild country where animal passion and the human heart begin to walk the very same trail. Whether one has been in the business of adventuring, as Thomas McIntyre has, or has enjoyed such adventures from the safety of one’s armchair, The Snow Leopard’s Tale is a haunting, beautifully written, and thought-provoking tale, as all great parables are."
"The only way a no-legged leopard could hurt you is if it fell out of a tree onto your head."
"You're like this leopard who's pretending to be a house cat."
"At the top of the mountain we are all snow leopards."
"Lions make leopards tame."
Leopard print has been my thing forever! When I was a teenager my entire room was done in leopard print - it's timeless, chic, and always in style. When in doubt... leopard!
Khloe Kardashian is a reality TV show star, model, and socialite who was made famous along with her family for the reality show, keeping up with the Kardashians. She has lent her voice against animal cruelty by appearing in PETA's "I'd Rather Go Naked Than Wear Fur" campaign. Amongst other things she currently hosts a pop culture-themed talk show called Kocktails with Khloe.
Throughout history, the leopard's fur has been used to make iconic fashion statements. The uniqueness and versatility of its pattern make it a popular source of inspiration for many fashion designers and lovers. This leopard quote speaks the mind of almost everyone who considers themselves fashionable.
“I like suits. I mean, I always feel good in a suit; I'm more of a suit guy than a shirt-and-jeans-type guy, probably. You know, like, I love Brad Goresky's style. And sometimes he'll wear a pair of, like, leopard pants, and I'm like, I couldn't pull that off, but I appreciate it from afar.”
~ Jesse Tyler Ferguson
"As I always say, leopard print is a neutral."
"When you do a cheesy leopard print, it can turn out so wrong."
"I love a wild animal print. Not just a leopard print - I'm talking about a tiger or zebra print, too."
"My weakness is wearing too much leopard print."
"There's so much plastic in this culture that vinyl leopard skin is becoming an endangered synthetic."
"Leopard coats are fantastic. But on the leopard."
"Clothing was no problem at all. Everybody wore leopard skins... Everybody except the leopards."
Jen’s a passionate environmentalist and sustainability expert. With a science degree from Babcock University Jen loves applying her research skills to craft editorial that connects with our global changemaker and readership audiences centered around topics including zero waste, sustainability, climate change, and biodiversity.
Elsewhere Jen’s interests include the role that future technology and data have in helping us solve some of the planet’s biggest challenges.
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