Northern Range Digital
Lions, tigers, leopards — the world's most powerful predators.
The leopard is so strong and comfortable in trees that it often hauls its kills into the branches. By dragging the bodies of large animals aloft it hopes to keep them safe from scavengers such as hyenas.
Leopards are graceful and powerful big cats closely related to lions, tigers, and jaguars. They live in sub-Saharan Africa, northeast Africa, Central Asia, India, and China.
Tigers live alone and aggressively scent-mark large territories to keep their rivals away. They are powerful hunters that travel many miles to find prey, such as elk and wild boar, on nocturnal hunts.
Tigers are the largest of all wild cats and are renowned for their power and strength. There were once nine tiger subspecies, but three became extinct during the 20th century.
They live primarily in eastern Russia's birch forests, though some exist in China and North Korea. Though their northern climate is far harsher than those of other tigers, these animals have some advantages.
Lions are the only cats that live in groups, which are called prides—though there is one population of solitary lions. Prides are family units that may comprise anywhere from two to 40 lions.
The species once roamed most of Africa and parts of Asia and Europe. But African lions have disappeared from 94 percent of its historic range
African lions have been admired throughout history for as symbols of courage and strength. These iconic animals have powerful bodies...