The caracal (Caracal caracal) is a muscular, secretive wild cat found all over South Africa, recognised by its reddish coat and black ears with long tufts of fur sticking out from the tips. It is mostly nocturnal but also hunts in the twilight hours, and the best chance of spotting one on a Kruger Park safari is in the afternoon.
Name
Caracal [Caracal caracal]
Appearance
The caracal has a reddish coat with greyish highlights. It has a cream coloured belly with very faint orange spots. The ears of the Caracal are black with long tufts of fur that stick out from the tips of the ears. The Caracal has a muscular body that makes it move with great power. It has wide paws that help it move quietly.
Diet
The caracal is mainly a nocturnal hunter but can also hunt in the twilight hours. The Caracal won’t just attempt to land animals like Klipspringer and hares but it will also attempt to hunt birds. The Caracal is fast and strong for its size, making hunting Sand Rats, Jerboas, Rock Hyrax and Squirrels much easier. The Caracal can make powerful leaps from a sitting position. By leaping into the air, they can pluck birds easily out of the air.
Breeding
Caracals don’t have a fixed breeding season and can breed throughout the year and the female is known to breed with three males. The size of the litter varies between 1 to 6 kittens. After a gestation period of 78 days. The kittens can gain 21g every day and reach a mature age at 17 months.
Behaviour
The Caracal is an animal that is mostly nocturnal and lives a very secretive life. The Caracal is a very aggressive animal. They are hunted by farmers because they are a pest that attacks the farmer’s live stock. Because the Caracal is hunted by farmers, it became even more elusive. Your best chance to spot a Caracal during a Kruger Park Safari is to go in the afternoon.
Habitat
The Caracal can be found in wooded areas and dry savannah areas. They can also live in rugged and mountainous areas up to 3000m above sea level. The Caracal, like other cats that call dry and arid areas home, can survive a long time without water. However, the Caracal can receive some fluids from its prey.
Where can you find them?
Caracals can be found all over South Africa and prefers open areas in wooded savannahs.
Frequently Asked Questions
How can you identify a caracal?
Look for a reddish coat with greyish highlights, a cream-coloured belly with very faint orange spots and black ears with long tufts of fur at the tips. The caracal has a muscular body and wide paws that help it move quietly.
What does a caracal eat?
Caracals hunt animals such as klipspringer, hares, sand rats, jerboas, rock hyrax and squirrels, as well as birds. Strong and fast for its size, a caracal can leap up and pluck birds out of the air.
Why are caracals so hard to see?
Caracals are mostly nocturnal and live very secretive lives. Farmers hunt them as pests because they attack livestock, and this has made the caracal even more elusive.
Where do caracals live?
Caracals are found all over South Africa and prefer open areas in wooded savannahs. They also live in dry savannah and rugged, mountainous areas up to 3,000 m above sea level, and can survive a long time without water, getting some fluids from their prey.
How many kittens does a caracal have?
A caracal litter has between one and six kittens, born after a gestation period of 78 days. Caracals have no fixed breeding season and can breed throughout the year.
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