The caracal is a cat with tall pointed ears with a black tuft at the tips. It has an unpatterned tawny coat and is heavily built like a lynx. It has a small head and short muzzle and black and white markings on the face. It is a great hunter with the ability to leap high, catching birds such as sand grouse and doves in flight. It also feeds on hyrax and small antelopes.
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Caracal. Picture from here. |
The morning we went on our game drive from the Serena Serengeti we stopped at the bottom of the hill below the lodge as someone spotted some sort of a cat in the shadow beneath a tree. We originally thought it was a genet, but the unmistakable tufts on the ears identify it as a caracal. Unfortunately, we did not get a better look, but it was fun to catch the small glimpse.
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Caracal in shadow of tree in early morning. Photo by Esmee Tooke. |
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Blown up picture reveals the ear tufts. |
With those pointy ears, he has a Spock-ish look.
ReplyDeleteI love the exotic look, from the pointy ears to the distinct face markings. Beautiful cat.
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