Life+cycle


 * = [[image:black-panther.jpg width="489" height="255"]] ||< [|Life cycle of the Black Panther]
 * It is common for female Black Panthers to give birth to their first litter at two and a-half years old.
 * Black Panthers mate at any time of the year.
 * They are solitary animals.
 * Adult male Panthers live alone for most of their adult lives.
 * A male Black Panther only stays together with the female Panther a few days during the mating period.
 * The gestation period is about 90 to 105 days.
 * The female black Panther is the sole provider and caregiver of her cub. ||
 * = media type="youtube" key="Hdxye0_W200" height="273" width="549" align="left" ||= Mother Panthers and her Cubs
 * A black panther cub is usually born in the same litter along with other light-coloured Cubs.
 * Typically, a litter consists of two to three cubs but can on occasion sometimes, up to six.
 * Black panther cubs are born with their eyes closed and are covered with faintly spotted smoky grey fur.
 * They weigh about 450 to 1000 g (16 to 35 oz). ||
 * = media type="youtube" key="m099vK9CSDk" height="398" width="515" ||= [|Baby Cubs]


 * The mother leopard stays in her den all the time during the first few days after the birth to rest and nurse the newborn ﻿**[|baby panthers]**﻿.
 * Cubs spend most of their time sleeping and nursing on their mother’s milk.
 * Panther Cubs open their eyes after about ten days from birth.
 * The mother leopard leaves her cubs unattended as she travels far from the birth den to find food.
 * The cub panthers are vulnerable to being prey when their mother is out hunting
 * Black Panther cubs follow their mother on hunting trips when they are two to three months old.
 * They begin to eat meat then around two to three months.
 * Picking up hunting skills from watching their mother.
 * They learn how to hide from enemies and start off by hunting smaller prey such as grass hoppers and lizards, than mice and rats.
 * To protect themselves from predators, black panther cubs develop tree-climbing skills.
 * The mother has to keep an eye on them all the time during this period of time as they are still vulnerable to enemies.
 * The Black Panther cubs become fully independant around two years of age.
 * They can live about 12 years in the wild and 20 years in captivity. ||