Leopard Back From Zambia

[Sarg]

Well done on a great leopard, all the more with archery tackle !!

These two look fantastic, first one the best.

 

[Huntforever]

My taxidermy called and my leopard is next up to mount. I would like more pictures of personal mounts if possible.

 

[BryceM]

No pics, sorry, but my vote would be a natural closed-mouth pose.

 

[mark-hunter]

Here’s my top choices so far.

Of your choices I vote for "2960", "2963".

Comparing with others on display I prefer wood, rather then rock in my quarters, so a mount on a branch of some kind would be my choice.

 

[Huntforever]

 

[Huntforever]

 

[Rare Breed]

My taxidermy called and my leopard is next up to mount. I would like more pictures of personal mounts if possible.

I like the snarl mouth looking down upon the viewer on a branch

 

[Skshyk]

I went with a closed mouth.

 

[dchum]

I went with a closed mouth.


View attachment 775093

Wow who did that work? Super mount

 

[Skshyk]

Wow who did that work. Super mount

Collets Wildlife in Bulawayo

 

[Wiley64]

Im a fan of the lounging leopard, action shots get old fast and in my opinion take away from the beauty of the creature. A slight open mouth is cool though as they don’t always have their mouths closed

 

[Nyati]

Just great

 

[DieJager]

Beautifully done.

 

[matt vejar]

Here’s mine.

 

[Firebird]

Your picture in post 26 is exactly what I would do-open mouth but not aggressive. “Panting”
Also Phil is one of the greats as far as cat work goes-truly a master or masters

 

[Shakka]

Haven’t measured the skull yet. We guessed the weigh which is difficult but we guessed 170lbs give or take. It took everything I had to lift him up. I’ve packed out moose and elk a number of times and they didn’t compare to the cat.

Did you measure your skull yet?

Most guys overestimate the weight of Leopards, I read up to 30-40%, but I bet that yours was as you said, 170lbs. That's a momster

If you can post some good pics of the skull and teeth, I can give you a idea on how old he was. I worked with a biologist who specializes on aging big cats.

A layman's opinion of course, but I can come pretty close

 

[Red Leg]

With respect to open or closed mouth, neither is wrong, if it is done well. Finding a taxidermist who can make a cat look realistic is a challenge. None are quite the same size to slide over a common form thus requiring a lot of custom body work. The gentle curve of the muscle structure is something few do well.

I personally prefer the closed mouth. Mine came from the Erongo Mountains of Central Namibia - hence the rock pedestal. Forgive the window glare on the left.

 

[Huntforever]

Did you measure your skull yet?

Most guys overestimate the weight of Leopards, I read up to 30-40%, but I bet that yours was as you said, 170lbs. That's a momster

If you can post some good pics of the skull and teeth, I can give you a idea on how old he was. I worked with a biologist who specializes on aging big cats.

A layman's opinion of course, but I can come pretty close

This is the only picture i have on my phone but i can get more if neeed

 

[farmer_john]

I know off topic but i think it would. Be cool with one and a prey species in a natural looking interaction

 

[Shakka]

This is the only picture i have on my phone but i can get more if neeed View attachment 775425

See if you have any pictures like the pics of my Leopard here in this post

Note how rounded and dull, not sharp, the carnassials (molars) are in the picture of the lower jaw, photo M. And if you look closely at the canine tooth, you will see a groove. That is from the upper canine rubbing against the lower canine for many years, carving out that groove you see. Also not the the tips of the canines are rounded off and dull looking.

Also note in photo H that the upper canine is flat at the tip, also another sign of age

In photo F, see how rounded off the molar is?

Also the teeth and very yellow and not shiny, white, and pointy like a house cats teeth

This leopard was aged at 7.5 years old, which is past its prime and getting old for a wild leopard.

From what I can see from the picture you sent, your cat is definitely a mature male, but it's hard to say from that one picture. The teeth aren't that rounded off, and whitish in color.
The front teeth are all intact as well, which means that he isn't THAT old, because those teeth are usually missing, broken, or worn down to nubs.

And from the kill picture it's a HUGE male which means that he isn't a 3.5 yo male who hasn't filled out yet. He is fully developed with a huge head and is in the prime of his life

I would REALLY like to see any additional kill pics you have of him, so we can look for fighting scars, tattered ears, etc. And of course any other pics of his teeth would give me a much better idea of how old he is

Right now, from that skull and kill pictures I am going to early GUESS at 4.5-5.5 years old.

If you feel like posting, I would love to see those pictures

PS: neither one of our cats are 10 year plus ancient males, because they teeth are usually missing, broken, and even the canines are worn to nubs. Those old cats a very rare as they usually die or are killed by another leopard by 9 or 10