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The leopard is the ultimate cat. It makes the lion and the tiger appear overblown and all the other members of the cat family look puny. Whereas lions hunt in the open and then share their kill, the leopard is solitary, stealthy and selfish. This cat ambushes its prey and then carries it high into a tree where it can dine alone. The leopard has commanded respect and awe in mankind for centuries, and is called the 'perfect predator', capable of frustrating the most dedicated big game hunter. Leopards are known to attack humans, and the book contains some compelling images of this amazing animal in action. In Leopard, renowned zoologist Desmond Morris shows all sides of the animal's character: its athletic elegance, its predatory skill, its wary shyness, its cunning intelligence, its parental devotion and its preference for solitary living, even its capacity to seek revenge. Morris traces the evolution of leopards, their role in circuses, and how we are now making strides in their conservation. He also describes their rich symbolism, and looks at the leopard print in fashion, both haute couture and downmarket, as well as the leopard in art, literature, film and popular culture.

In recent decades there has been an increase in the incidences of human wildlife conflicts (HWC) in India with tiger, leopard and elephant being the major cause of concern. Such incidents of conflicts elicit a negative attitude in the community towards wild animals. The present study on HWC was undertaken in Tehri Garhwal, Western Himalaya, India. The aim of this study is to identify (a) the most problematic wild animal in terms of attacks to humans in the study area, (b) annual trend of attacks by leopard towards humas, (c) the time (day or night) and locality/site of most incidences of attacks caused by leopards, and (d) topography of the locality/site where most of the incidents of attacks by leopard on humans took place. Apart from these objectives, we obtained perception of local people about the leopard and possible causes of HWC in the study area. We complied secondary data on HWC records for the period of 2011–2021 maintained by the state Government. We also conducted questionnaire surveys (N = 373) in 236 village council and 137 villagers of the study area during 2021 and 2022. The data about time and locality of attacks by leopards on humans were generated through questionnaire for the period of two years only (2020 and 2021). The mean number of humans killed by the leopards per year during the study period was estimated to be 2.7 ± 0.7 (total incidence 29). Apart from this, 7.8 ± 5.2 persons were injured by the leopards per year during the same period (total incidences 77). The other wildlife, such as bears and elephants, also killed and injured human beings in the study area, but such incidences were quite low. Thus, the leopard was identified as the main problematic wild animal of the area. The trend of human leopard conflicts fluctuated across the years. Most of the attacks by leopards on humans occurred in the vicinity of villages/pathways (N = 21) rather than forests (N = 2) and were too common during the day (21 out of 23). The density of invasive shrub species Lantana camera was found higher in sites of attacks by the leopard than other shrub species. According to the local people’s perception, the development of dams, all-weather roads, railway development, heavy growth of the Lantana camera bush along village pathways, agricultural fields and forest edges and incidences of forest fires contribute to HWC. The outreach programmes focusing on awareness about wildlife and its importance and community-based mitigation measures could be effective in reducing losses caused by HWC.

Electrocardiogram (ECG) still remains a very useful diagnostic method in modern cardiology. Its broad availability, noninvasiveness and good sensitivity explain why it plays a capital role in the very beginning of the process of diagnosis for every patient, with or without cardiac-related complaints. For the practitioner, good training in ECG interpretation is mandatory. Sometimes, the ECG trace reveals particular aspects that may cause confusion and complicate decision-making. In this article, we present several less common situations underlying the general context and ECG features. The syndromes studied have a high pathological significance and may range from acute emergencies that call for a rapid therapeutical response to chronic syndromes that require prolonged observation, monitoring and risk stratification.

We report the sudden cardiac death of a young male presenting with classic clinical features of LEOPARD syndrome, shown to be due to a mutation in the PTPN11 gene, and severe non obstructive hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. We also discuss briefly the usefulness of prophylactic risk stratification in patients with syndromic and non syndromic hypertrophic cardiomyopathy.

We analyzed the escalating man-animal conflict due to changing cropping pattern in Talala sub-district on the periphery of Gir National Park and Sanctuary (GNPS), Gujarat, India. Sugarcane and mango cultivation has increased by 87% and 103% respectively within eight years from 1992 to 1999. Straying of lions (Panthera leo persica) and leopards (Panthera pardus) increased to 55% and 46% respectively from 1997 to 1999. Significant correlations between the increases in sugarcane cultivation and mango orchard with straying of lions (r = +0.827, df 2) and leopards (r = +0.981, df 2) were observed. From 1990 to 1998, of the total of 11 lions rescued, eight (72%) were from farmlands and of 32 leopards rescued, ten (31%) were from farmland. Ten lions (91%) and five leopards (41%) were found dead in farmlands. Thirteen lion attacks (72%) took place in farmlands, of which 10 were specifically reported, from sugarcane and mango cultivation. Fifty-nine percent of the leopard attacks (resulting in four deaths) were recorded from farmlands. Livestock kills taking place in farmland have increased by 150% within two years from 1998 to 1999. Sugarcane and groundnut cultivation in the adjoining areas also suffer from damage due to increased movement of wild ungulates and wildboar.

Miles shares what it feels like to be attacked by her own leopard. Having her cat killed after the attack, she states that she's not going to get another one, though she doesn't regret having raised one.