The leopard is a member of the Felidae family and the smallest of the four "big cats", the other three being the tiger, lion and jaguar. There are nine recognized subspecies of leopard. All subspecies except the African leopard can be found in Asia, South Asia, and India.

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The cheetah's historic habitat has been reduced by 89%, and they occur widely but sparsely in the regions they still inhabit. Southern and Eastern Africa are strongholds for cheetah populations.