The caracal is a handsome, medium-sized cat that is common throughout Africa but infrequently spotted. These cats occur in almost all South Africa's national parks and private reserves.
Need Advice?They very closely resemble the shaggy lynx species found in Europe. They are much leaner, and their fur is a thin layer of red-brown covering their whole body and protecting their skin from the sun. Caracals are average-sized, with females slightly smaller than males.
The distribution of the species in Africa is extensive. Southern Africa, excluding the Namib Desert and northern parts of KwaZulu-Natal, is home to them. Further north, they occur in Malawi, Zambia, Tanzania, Kenya, and Ethiopia. Most of Sudan and Egypt also have healthy populations.
They are prevalent throughout most of Africa and even in most of the Middle East and India, with healthy populations in these areas. The Kruger National Park is home to a substantial population, but they are rarely seen due to their solitary and shy nature. Their population trend is still being determined, but this may be due to the vast lands that must be covered to complete an accurate report. They live in low densities of nearly 0,5 individuals per square kilometer, much like the serval.
These cats live in a wide variety of habitats. Still, they prefer drier or more arid bush areas, provided there is enough cover for them to conceal themselves during the daytime while also staying out of the sun's heat. They are also found in grasslands and woodlands but are generally less common here, where servals flourish. Caracals can take down abnormally large prey when considering their size, as they regularly tackle mountain reedbuck or domesticated sheep. Dassies and small primates also fall under their everyday prey list. Jackals are fearful of caracals, despite being roughly the same size.
They communicate visually, vocally, and by using scent markers. The sounds they typically produce are similar to those of house cats and include meowing sounds, grunts, and growls produced when agitated and defensive. They urinate on patches of flora, rocks, or tree stumps as a form of olfactory communication or marking their territory. During the night, when they are most active, they can be seen hunting prey much larger than themselves, stalking them, and then finally delivering the killer blow to the back of the neck once they get their jaws close enough.
We recommend the following National Parks and Private Reserves for the best chances of spotting the caracal on safari game drives and bush walks.
Mating occurs at the same general time every month, in sync with the birth peaks the species experiences during the summer months. It kicks off when females go into heat for a few days, lasting up to a week. She may attract one of many suitors with whom she will inevitably mate during this time. Copulation occurs in a few days within the middle of this estrus period and entails mating times of roughly 4 minutes. When the female does not conceive, this period repeats two weeks later. If she successfully bears a litter, they are usually born at the end of a 62 to 81-day period. Litter sizes vary from 1 to 4 kittens but are two on average.
Caracals, the predominant predator in most of the habitats they live in, are not pestered by predation. On the other hand, their young are born to be only a few hundred grams in the early days of their lives and are very vulnerable. Their mothers protect them from the outside world when they are most vulnerable. Eagles, pythons, and rival dog or cat species pose a threat to kittens, including humans irritated by the presence of caracals in agricultural areas.
Caracals, being the predominant predator in most of the habitats that they live in, are not pestered by predation nearly as much as they bother other species. Their young, on the other hand, are born to be only a few hundred grams in the early days of their lives and are very vulnerable as a result. They are thoroughly protected and shielded from the outside world by their mothers when they are at their most vulnerable but are especially endangered by the same predators who feed on other small mammals. Eagles, pythons and rival dog or cat species all pose a threat to kittens, including humans who are irritated by the presence of caracals in agricultural areas.
