The Leopard, one of Africa’s Big Five, is an evasive and solitary animal. In fact, they go out of their way to avoid one another, except when a pair comes together to mate. Males mark their territory with urine and tree scratching points to defend it against other males. When in heat a female leopard attracts males by the smell of her urine. The estrous cycle lasts about 46 days and the female usually is in heat for 6–7 days.A male and female may stay together for several days, during which they will mate repeatedly before parting again.