African caracal cat are the largest of Africa’s smaller cats and easily recognizable by their large, black, tufted ears and admired for their amazing jumping ability. The name caracal comes from Turkish word “karakulak” meaning black eared. The Swahili name for caracal is “Simbamangu” which means “secretive lion” or “secretive cat” as they are rarely seen.
African Caracals are found in a variety of habitats, including deserts, savannas, and woodlands. They are primarily active during the night and early morning, and are solitary animals. The caracals are capable of tremendous aerial acrobatics jumps. They can leap into the air and knock down number of birds at one time.
African Caracals are carnivores meaning that they live on a meat-based diet. They are also excellent hunters and will target any prey that they can find. They will eat a wide range of animals including Small monkeys, small antelopes, mongoose, birds, hyraxes and even rodents
Like other Cats found in dry, arid or semi-dessert locations, the caracals can survive for long periods without water, instead obtaining its requirement form the metabolic moisture of its prey.
They are one of the more intelligent field species, yet affectionate and very trainable. The young Caracals are the least troublesome of all the species we’ve raised indoors. They don’t seem to be as destructive when indoors and when faced with a no-no, they usually obey.
Female caracals can reproduce any time during the year and their pregnant takes 65 to 75 days and will use caves, tree cavities, or abandoned burrows for dens. Litter sizes can be as large as six kittens, but the average is two. The kitten will remain with the female until the age of nine to ten months old.
These cats are mostly nocturnal but have been spotted in daylight in protected areas. Principal Threats: Caracals are mostly killed for livestock predation, although this only occurs in a few of its ranges it still adds up to large numbers of deaths (2219 animals in one area alone).
African Caracals are known for their agility and speed, and are able to leap great distance and climb trees with ease. They are also skilled swimmers, and are known to swim across rivers and lakes in pursuit of prey. They are also very stealthy, and are able to sneak up on their prey undetected.
African Caracal is one of the few species in some regions that can kill certain types of prey. The known predators of caracal are lions, leopards and hyenas. To protect themselves from predators they camouflage on open habitat by lying flat with their plain, brown coat.
The average lifespan for a caracal in the wild is 10 to 12 years. In captivity, they can live 15 to 18 years. Caracals are 23.5 to 36 inches long and can weigh between 9 and 42 pounds. Male Caracals are typically larger than females.
