Photo by mattiasklumofficial | Leopards, just like house cats, spend a considerable amount of time licking their fur to keep it clean. The tongue of this top predator (and many other species) has tiny, backward-facing barbs called papillae. These contain keratin, which makes them quite rigid, so the papillae act as a hairbrush. Leopards are amazingly graceful and powerful big cats, found in sub-Saharan Africa, northeast Africa, Central Asia, India, and China. However, many of their populations are endangered, especially outside of Africa. I photographed this female leopard grooming herself in Mombo Camp, Botswana. Please visit mattiasklumofficial for more from our projects around the world. #leopard #grooming #endangered #cat #pattern #conservation #savebigcats #botswana