Khala Hala was born at Catty Shack Ranch on June 16, 2004. She has received and enjoyed love, attention and excellent care her entire life. She is the offspring of BJ and Skywalker and her sister, now deceased, was Two White.

Khala Hala is so-named because she was born with all white whiskers. Imagine two closely identical baby animal sisters – early on, the easiest distinguishing mark was whisker color. As a black spotted leopard, her coat features black spots (rosettes) set on a black background. Her skin is similarly spotted. In leopards, the melanistic (black) coloration is due to a recessive gene. As the parents both exhibit this gene, it was no surprise that Khala Hala and Two White were also melanistic.

Khala Hala craves attention from visitors and volunteers alike. She flirts, rubs along the sides of her habitat and rolls over to show you her spotted tummy. She quickly moves along her enclosure, stealthily climbing up and down her platforms to make sure all passersby see what a stunningly beautiful leopard she is.

Khala Hala makes loud raspy “happy cat” noises, similar to a purr. Leopards, like the other big cats (lions, tigers, and jaguars) can not purr – her vocalization is an excellent imitation of a purr. Many times, you’ll also hear her make a guttural noise, sounding more like a loud saw (or a very large tree frog!). This sound in the wild would be used to attract a mate or warn other leopards not to enter her territory. As you wander throughout the Ranch, you can hear this sound produced by all of our leopards.

Leopards in the wild live solitary lives. At the Ranch, all our leopards enjoy separate habitats featuring raised platforms and high-level beams and tree branches so that they may rest up higher like they would do in the wild.

At Catty Shack Ranch, Khala Hala enjoys a healthy diet of raw meat with vitamins and supplements appropriate to her species, age, and current health conditions. All our animals receive regular veterinary care and are very much loved.

Born: June 16, 2004

Gender: Female

Classification: Black Spotted Leopard (Panthera pardus)