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The '''leopard''' is a large spotted [[feline]], widely distributed throughout [[Africa]] and [[Asia]].  

The '''leopard''' is a large spotted [[feline]], widely distributed throughout [[Africa]] and [[Asia]].  

It is sometimes referred to as the panther, especially rare [[melanism|melanistic]] black leopards (which are also spotted, but black-on-black so that the spots are not readily apparent).

It is sometimes referred to as the panther, especially in rare [[melanism|melanistic]] black leopards (which are also spotted, but black-on-black so that the spots are not readily apparent).

The three lions on the royal arms of [[England]] and [[Britain]] (and on the badge of the England football team) are known in heraldic terms as 'leopards'.  The heraldic 'leopard' is a 'lion passant gardant'; a lion walking to the viewer's left and looking at the viewer.<ref>[http://www.burkes-peerage.net/articles/heraldry_l.aspx Burke's Peerage]</ref><ref>[http://www.heraldryclipart.com/dl.html Armorial Gold Heraldic Dictionary]</ref><ref>[http://www.royal.gov.uk/files/images/MTnew_ceremsym_symbols_armsi.jpg Arms of Britain]</ref>

The three lions on the royal arms of [[England]] and [[Britain]] (and on the badge of the England football team) are known in heraldic terms as 'leopards'.  The heraldic 'leopard' is a 'lion passant gardant'; a lion walking to the viewer's left and looking at the viewer.<ref>[http://www.burkes-peerage.net/articles/heraldry_l.aspx Burke's Peerage]</ref><ref>[http://www.heraldryclipart.com/dl.html Armorial Gold Heraldic Dictionary]</ref><ref>[http://www.royal.gov.uk/files/images/MTnew_ceremsym_symbols_armsi.jpg Arms of Britain]</ref>

== Biblical references ==

== Biblical references ==

Leopards historically occurred naturally in [[Palestine]] (where they are now either extinct or extremely rare) and are mentioned several times in the [[Bible]], including,

Leopards historically occurred naturally in [[Palestine]] (where they are now either extinct or extremely rare) and are mentioned several times in the [[Bible]], including:

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==Leopards in popular culture==

== Leopards in popular culture ==

''[[The Jungle Book]]'' by Rudyard Kipling features a major character named Bagheera, a black Indian leopard who mentors Mowgli and is one of his friends. He is well known as a powerful hunter, as bold as a buffalo and as reckless as an elephant, as described, and he is one of the most feared animals in the jungle, just after Shere Khan, the tiger. "Mowgli's Brothers" reveals that Bagheera was born in captivity in a king's palace, but after his mother died, he broke out of his cage and escaped into the wild, where he became a feared predator. The Disney movies - both 1967 and 2016 - portray him as a sterner character, yet just as devoted to Mowgli's safety and well-being.

''[[The Jungle Book]]'' by Rudyard Kipling features a major character named Bagheera, a black Indian leopard who mentors Mowgli and is one of his friends. He is well known as a powerful hunter, as bold as a buffalo and as reckless as an elephant, as described, and he is one of the most feared animals in the jungle, just after Shere Khan, the tiger. "Mowgli's Brothers" reveals that Bagheera was born in captivity in a king's palace, but after his mother died, he broke out of his cage and escaped into the wild, where he became a feared predator. The Disney movies - both 1967 and 2016 - portray him as a sterner character, yet just as devoted to Mowgli's safety and well-being.

==See also==

==See also==

*[[The Leopard]]—A Historical novel by [[Guiseppe di Lampedusa]].

*[[The Leopard]] — a historical novel by [[Giuseppe di Lampedusa]].

== References ==

== References ==