Caracal at a Glance
Long black ear tufts are the caracal’s trademark. It is a lean, medium-sized cat with powerful hindquarters, a short reddish-tan coat, fine black lines on the face and a fairly short tail. Females are slightly smaller than males. The name comes from the Turkish karakulak, “black ear”.
This elusive cat is very difficult to find. Just like the side-striped jackal, the moment they feel they have been seen, they are incredibly quick to run away and disappear into the bush where one will not see them again. The area where I have most commonly seen caracal is on the road towards N’wanetsi.
- Mary-Anne Finlay - Tour Guide Since 2006 (THETA Registration No: GP 2432)
Caracals are widespread across Africa (outside the rainforest), the Middle East and into India. In Southern Africa they occur from the arid Karoo and Kalahari to savanna and fynbos wherever there is cover, though not in the Namib Desert. They are present in the Kruger National Park but seldom seen, because densities are low and they are active mostly at dawn, dusk and night.
Conservation Status
Listed as Least Concern with a broad distribution. Local pressures include conflict with farmers, persecution, habitat loss and road deaths. In protected areas and well-managed conservancies populations are stable, though naturally thin on the ground.
Habitat & Diet
Caracals live in arid scrub, open savanna, rocky hills and woodland edges with broken cover. They are versatile hunters of small to medium prey: rodents, hares, hyrax, antelope lambs, ground birds and reptiles. They are famous for explosive vertical leaps to snatch birds in flight, and can kill prey larger than themselves. The long-legged serval is a grassland cat that hunts mainly rodents, locating them by sound.
Social Organization
Solitary and active mostly at dawn, dusk and night. Caracals communicate with scent-marking (spray, scrapes), mews, growls and hisses. Adults have overlapping home ranges, and meetings outside the mating season are brief.
Finest Safari Areas in Africa for Encountering Caracal
Sightings are never guaranteed, but the following parks and reserves offer suitable habitat and occasional records.
Social Behavior
Caracals stalk slowly, then attack with a burst of speed or a high leap. They spend the day resting in shade or thickets and are most active at dusk and dawn. They follow trails and dry riverbeds and may hide food in cover.
Reproduction
Caracals can breed in any month. A secluded den, such as a rock crevice, burrow or dense bush, holds the litter of one to six kittens, which arrive 68–81 days after mating. Kittens are weaned at about 3–4 months and leave their mother at about 9–12 months.
Anti-Predator Behavior
Adults have few natural predators but avoid lion, leopard, hyena and wild dog by staying out of sight. Kittens are vulnerable to large raptors, pythons and other carnivores, so mothers move dens often.