Leopard Breeding

A young female leopard is able to breed for the first time when she is about two years old. Male leopards are capable of mating about the same age as females, but they often have to face competition from older and stronger male leopards. As a result, young male leopards usually have their first chance of mating at three to four years old. A female leopard will be ready to breed again after her cubs have grown up and left. She gives birth about every two years.

There is no particular breeding season for leopards. They breed at any time of the year. When a female leopard is ready to breed, she will be in heat every three to seven weeks until she become pregnant. The heat lasts two to three days each time.

Some zoos have breeding programs for leopards. These zoos share and trade adult leopards that are ready to breed. They mate female and male leopards, particularly endangered subspecies of leopards. People hope the breeding program for leopards will prevent those endangered subspecies of leopards from extinction.

next => Leopard Mating