There are claw marks on the tree. He must have made those getting out. Notice the way they've been dug in from above.
8 seconds sound clip from the The Leopard Man (1943) movie soundboard.
You can hear this line at 00:31:53.208 in the Blu-ray version of the movie.
Quote context
[...]
- They found the body, and the gatekeeper.
- I warned her. I told her the gates would be closed.
- It's all right, my friend. It wasn't your fault. We know.
- It's a leopard, all right. A broken claw, some black hairs.
- And these leaves on the ground. They don't fall this time of the year.
- Must have shaken down on her when it jumped.
- Doc. Something you said to me the other day.
- Yes?
- You said that the leopard would head for open country, that it wouldn't stay in the city.
- Sure, certainly, but what's that got to do with this?
[...]