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Article: The solitary felid in strange, factual poetry
- Article from:
- The Independent (London, England)
- Article date:
- March 18, 1994
- Author:
CopyrightCopyright 1994 The Independent - London. Provided by ProQuest LLC. (Hide copyright information)
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LEOPARDS have got it made. Cheetahs depend for their superlative
sprinting speed on light, fragile bones; and are so vulnerable to
the depredations (or perhaps just the predations) of hyenas, lions
and vultures that only one cub in eight makes it"TbUW,.Y.Kon the
other hand, are both the most glamorous of the big cats and the
most successful. They have a robust 50 per cent survival chance and
are extremely adaptable: they like mountains and jungles, rivers
and deserts. Usually they get through one tasty impala per week,
but when pushed they can go 15 days without a drink.
Their lithe tree-climbing agility and their habit of stashing
their prey on high branches means that hyenas can't steal ...