We saw a caracal in the Serengeti in Tanzania four years ago, but it was far away and hidden in the shadow of a tree. In South Africa, in May, we visited Cheetah Outreach. In addition to cheetahs, they had some other animals, including a caracal. It was fun to see it relatively close. We wanted to go into its enclosure and pet it, something Cheetah Outreach makes available, but they were busy that day and could not accommodate us in that regard. However, Judy asked a worker that was walking by if he would take a picture for us. He took her camera, walked into the enclosure and got some great close-ups. Those pictures follow:
We learned that they are quite common in South Africa and are not protected. They are often shot by farmers trying to protect their small animals.
I love those ears--huge and feathery, like a Native American headdress.
ReplyDelete