Leopards live in a wide range of habitats across Africa and Asia. Their distribution includes sub-Saharan Africa, northeast Africa, Central Asia, India, China, and parts of the Middle East. They inhabit diverse environments such as forests, savannas, grasslands, deserts, rocky and mountainous regions, and even urban areas if conditions allow
. Specifically, leopards can be found in:
- Sub-Saharan Africa, where they are still numerous in various habitats including savannahs and marginal areas where other big cats have disappeared
- Northeast Africa and the Atlas Mountains in North Africa, though populations there are small and isolated
- Central and South Asia, including India, Nepal, Myanmar, Thailand, Malaysia, Laos, Cambodia, and Sri Lanka, where they live in forests, tea estates, plantations, and mountainous regions up to elevations of around 4,300 meters (14,100 feet)
- China and eastern Russia, with populations in mountainous and forested areas
- The Arabian Peninsula, though populations are small and fragmented
Leopards are highly adaptable and can live in both warm and cold climates, from tropical rainforests to deserts and high-altitude mountain ranges
. Their ability to thrive in varied habitats is unique among big cats, including deserts and rainforests
. In summary, leopards have the largest range of all wild cats, spanning much of Africa and Asia, and occupying habitats from dense forests and savannahs to deserts and mountains
