Like in all animals the pupil of a leopard’s eye constricts or dilates according to the amount of light that enters the eyes, with both pupils normally dilating in dim light and constricting in bright light. The eyes are the window to the soul and provide one with feelings of emotion and feeling. As a wildlife photographer, I like many others, try to capture a sparkle or glint in the eyes of the subject. The eyes of leopards are incredible and truly tell a tale – an intimate portrayal of self.
I decided to put together a piece showcasing a series of close ups of some of Londolozi’s most famous leopard’s eyes. The intention was to portray something a little different about these magnificent cats. However, in doing so I have stumbled upon an interesting issue. An issue, that I am not sure that I know the answer to! I am going to throw this one out to the readers and ask for your opinions. Have a look at what we uncovered…
Camp Pan Male, Aug 2012
Tamboti Female, Feb 2012
Nottens Female, March 2011
Nyeleti 4:3 Young Male, May 2012
So far all is well. Now have a look at the next two leopards…
Maxabeni 3:2 Young Male and the Vomba Female
Look closely and you will notice how the most recent pictures show that the pupils of both these leopard’s are different sizes.
Maxabeni 3:2 Young Male, June 2010
Maxabeni 3:2 Young Male, March 2011
Maxabeni 3:2 young Male, Sept 2012
Vomba Female, Sept 2011
Vomba Female March 2012 by Rich Laburn
Vomba Female, Sept 2012 – Irene Nathanson
Once I had noticed this I have started paying close attention to the eyes of the various leopards we encounter. So far I have only noticed this anomaly in these two individuals. I can assure you that it is not the light or the angle that the photograph is taken. Their pupils truly are different sizes. So the question is why is this so, what is wrong and why has this become more pronounced as they age? The Maxabeni Young Male is a four year old so it can’t be age. Is it due to a fight, a wound or a growth? Is this impeding their eye sight and thus their hunting ability?
I tried ‘googling’ the question and managed to get lots of hits, all based on domestic cats, on an issue diagnosed as Anisocoria. Now, I am out of my depth here and am hoping that if we have any veterinarians or ophthalmologists reading this, they may be so kind as to shed some light on this issue.
Let me know your thoughts on whether you know anything on this subject…
Written and photographed by Adam Bannister
One of my dog’s pupils are of different sizes also. They’ve been that way since she was a little puppy. The vet thinks it has to do with the way she views things, maybe near- or far-sighted in one eye only.
Pink Nose had an injury to his left eye when I was there in August 2011. Would that have something to do with it? I don’t know about Vomba.
Adam,
You are definitely on to something! Perhaps their eyes are so intensely focused that the slightest variation in the angle of light or the slight shadow of their nose effects the pupils. I am sure though, that there is probably a brilliant ophthalmologist that will give us a good answer!
Best always, Michael
Hi Adam-I am neither a vet nor an apthalmic specialist, but I am a huge fan of the leopards. So, I Googled here in the States and found 2 different explanations. #1 toxoplasma, which is a highly toxic communicable disease in felines, wild and domestic. Doubt that’s it, since it hasn’t been transmitted to the others and they are in constant contact. The second is found at http//ukpmc.ac.uk and is titled Neural mechanisms of pupillary abnormality following thalmic lesions. Basically, it describes abnormalities in pupils having the same light stimulous but reacting differntly following a lesion of some kind. I suspect that’s the case. These animal get into situations, which cause a lesions to there eye, and the healing process causes their pupils to react differently to the same light….I think? 🙂
Wonderful observation, Adam.. And some informative responses too.
The pictures aren’t bad either!
Thanks
I’m a vet student and certainly cannot say an answer definitively, but some anatomy could shed some light (no pun intended). There are two muscles, the sphincter and dilator, that control the size of the iris. This is what actually controls the size of the pupil. These work through one of the cranial nerves, specifically the oculomotor nerve. Mild damage to this nerve (which is actually paired, one going to each eye) on one side could affect pupil dilation. This nerve is also responsible for other eye movements and is controlled autonomically, like our heartbeat and unlike our arm and leg muscles. There is, however, another nerve for the special sense of sight, so the leopards may still be able to see just as well. I might also guess that night vision may be effected however because pupil size is so important for night vision in cats. As long as they can hunt and stay healthy, just keep an eye on it to see if it worsens or one eye loses any function.
Thank you sarah for your thoughts. Whatever the reason may be it is fascinating and going forward I will watch these 2 individuals very carefully, especially at night!
I think all of the cats eyes are a little squint to a very slight degree. Do you think that these cats all have the ability to have a Bi-Focus mechanism?