Animal Dome

Can Leopards Be Pets? What to Know About Leopards

By Jake Willhoite · · Updated

Can Leopards Be Pets
Contents

Many animal lovers dream of owning an exotic pet, and leopards are high on that wish list.

Leopards are large, solitary cats with a yellowish-brown coat covered in black rosettes. They are carnivores that mostly hunt at night. Leopards live across much of Africa and parts of Asia, in habitats from rainforest to dry grassland. So, can leopards be pets? Let us find out!

Can leopards be pets? No, not in the United States. The Big Cat Public Safety Act, signed in December 2022, ended private ownership of big cats, including leopards, as pets.

Only grandfathered owners who registered their cats by June 2023 and licensed facilities like accredited zoos and sanctuaries may keep them. Leopards are also dangerous and need far more space and care than a home can provide.

Today, we will be talking about leopards and the reasons why they are not pets. You will learn lots of things about leopards today. So, if you are ready to learn more about leopards, let us move on!

Why Are Leopards Not Good Pets?

Wildlife officials and animal welfare groups agree that leopards and other big cats should not be kept as pets, because they can be very dangerous.

Leopards are wild animals. Even one raised by people keeps its predatory instincts. You can check out my other article here about the reason why leopards are dangerous.

Can You Train A Leopard?

A leopard raised around people may get used to them, but it is never truly tame. Its wild instincts remain, and a single mistake around an adult leopard can lead to serious injury or death.

How Much Does A Leopard Cost?

There is no legal pet market for leopards in the United States, so there is no real "price." Leopards are bred and moved through licensed facilities, not sold as pets.

The bigger cost is care. A leopard needs a large, secure, enriched enclosure where it can climb and roam, a whole-prey or specialized meat diet, and a veterinarian experienced with big cats.

That is why leopards are kept by zoos and sanctuaries with trained staff and the facilities to care for them.

In the United States, no. The Big Cat Public Safety Act was enacted on December 20, 2022, to end private ownership of big cats as pets. It also bans exhibitors from allowing public contact with big cats, including cubs.

People who already owned a big cat had to register it with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service by June 18, 2023, to keep it. Registration is now closed, and owners can't breed or acquire new cats. Many states also have their own bans.

Laws in other countries vary, but most strictly regulate or ban keeping leopards privately.

How Dangerous Leopards Are?

Leopards are very dangerous cats. They can kill a human being and prey animals larger than themselves. I have an article that explains the different reasons why leopards are dangerous. Try checking it out.

How Fast Leopards Run?

Leopards can run in bursts up to 36 miles per hour, leap 20 feet forward in a single bound, and jump 10 feet straight up, according to the San Diego Zoo.

How Powerful Is Their Bite?

Leopards have a very powerful bite for their size. It lets them kill prey with a bite to the throat or neck and haul heavy carcasses up into trees.

Note that the clouded leopard is not a type of leopard. It is a separate species in its own genus.

Are Leopards Aggressive?

Leopards are not looking for fights, but they are powerful predators that will defend themselves fiercely when threatened or cornered.

Leopards usually avoid larger predators. In Africa, lions and packs of hyenas or painted dogs can kill leopards, and in Asia, tigers can, so leopards often rest in trees and hunt at different times.

Do Leopards Attack Humans?

Yes. Leopard attacks on people do happen, though they are rare in most areas. Leopards generally avoid humans, but they can live closer to people than many other big cats.

None of this makes leopards good pets. Even a leopard raised by people keeps its wild behavior and instincts.

What Do Leopards Eat?

Leopards are carnivores with one of the widest diets of any big cat. They hunt everything from insects and rodents to antelope. Below are some of the animals leopards eat:

  • Deer
  • Wild pigs
  • Impalas
  • Dogs
  • Fish
  • Livestock
  • Antelopes
  • Reptiles
  • Beetles
  • Rodents
  • Birds
  • Baboons

Leopards are stealthy hunters. They stalk or ambush their prey, pounce, and usually kill it with a bite to the neck or throat. They often drag their kill into a tree to keep it from lions and hyenas.

Are Leopards An Endangered Species?

Leopards are listed as vulnerable, and several subspecies are endangered or critically endangered. The San Diego Zoo notes that all leopard subspecies are either endangered or threatened, and that the U.S. Endangered Species Act and CITES help protect them.

Habitat loss, conflict with livestock owners, and poaching for their skins are the main threats.

Final Verdict

Leopards are not pets. In the United States, the Big Cat Public Safety Act bans new private ownership, and leopards are dangerous, protected wild animals that need specialist care. If you love leopards, visit them at an accredited zoo or support conservation groups that protect them in the wild.

Sources

More in Fun Animal Facts