Tom Jones villa knocks spots off neighbours

THE cat's out of the bag. Welsh crooner Tom Jones has a remarkable penchant for leopards. His Beverly Hills mansion drips in the animal print. The What's New Pussycat? singer's love for leopards and other wildlife, including elephants and giraffes, has been laid bare after his ostentatious 8 000m' pad was put on the market for $8million (about R107million). In 2014 a snow leopard cub was born at the Welsh Mountain Zoo and named after Jones. The fivebedroom, sevenbathroom villa in the gated Mulholland Estates is listed on luxury realtor Sotheby's website. A sweep through the house shows off Jones's wild side. At nearly every turn there's an explosion of leopard print — from the living areas to the bathrooms, the master bedroom and even the kitchen, from rugs and occasional chairs to couches and carpeting, kitchen chairs and bathroom accessories. One UK tabloid said: "Buyers are sure to go wild for the tribal artwork and safari statues. "One of the most impressive rooms in the property is Sir Tom's bedroom. "The room contains a huge fourposter bed and residents have the option to recline in front of the widescreen TV on sofas that are intricately embroidered with elephants and zebras," said the newspaper. Sotheby's described the home as a "villa in prime Mulholland Estates — home to a number of Hollywood celebrities — sitting on over half an acre with amazing city views".