The Ẹkpẹn (leopard) is an animal that appears most often among the motifs decorating the Emwin Arhe (royal treasures). The Ẹkpẹn symbolises the valour and strength of the Ọba, as well as his political authority. The Benin people eulogise the Ọba as the ‘ẹkpẹn n'owa’ (leopard of the home).

When a hunter kills a leopard, he must say “ẹkpẹn n'oha” (I killed a bush leopard), as it is taboo to say that a hunter killed a leopard without specifying that it is a bush leopard, as otherwise this would “be tantamount to symbolically killing the king” (Nevadomsky 1988, p. 81). For this reason, leopards of the bush are called Atalakpa to distinguish them from those that represent the Ọba.

Uhanbọ (bows) and Ifẹnmwẹ (arrows) were produced by members of the Iwifenmwen (guild of archers and manufacturers of poisoned arrows). Arrows, particularly poisoned arrows, were used in warfare. When depicted on Emwin Arhe (royal treasures), Uhanbọ and Ifẹnmwẹ are believed to represent Ake, the deity of archery. According to Aisien (in Plankensteiner 2007, cat. no. 218, p. 438), Ake was an expert marksman who lived during the reign of Ọba Ẹwuare (c. 1440–1473 AD) and is credited with inventing the poisoned arrow used in hunting and warfare.

Members of the Iviekpen, the guild of leopard hunters, are part of the Iwebo palace society. Members of this guild were responsible for the Ọba’s wardrobe and were tasked with hunting and capturing leopards for the Ọba.

Representations of leopard hunters occur most frequently on Ama-Ẹrọnmwọn (bronze relief plaques) dating from the 16th to the mid-17th centuries. They are depicted wearing distinctive helmets made from an unidentified material and carrying bows and arrows. In some representations, leopard hunters carry small leopards, while in others they are accompanied by motifs of bound or captured leopards ( ). On Aken'ni Elao (carved tusks), leopard hunters are depicted only once. argued that this representation is a direct translation of the imagery found on the Ama-Ẹrọnmwọn.