THE CARACAL – BUILT FOR STEALTH, SPEED AND SPECTACULAR LEAPS

By Beanelri Janecke, Predation Management Centre, University of the Free State

The caracal (Caracal caracal), commonly known as Rooikat in Afrikaans, is found across much of Africa, as well as parts of the Middle East and Asia. It has a reddish-brown coat, short tail, distinctive black-tufted ears and their footpads are cushioned with stiff fur, which helps them sneak up on prey completely silently. This elusive, largely nocturnal hunter plays an important role in natural ecosystems.

Here are some facts about this cat that deserves a closer look:

1. The name: ‘Caracal’ originates from a Turkish word ‘karakulak’, which means ‘black eared’. The Swahili name is “Simbamangu” which means ‘secretive lion / cat” as they are rarely seen.
2. The face: Its trademark long ear tufts are operated by over 20 specialized muscles, allowing the ears to swivel independently to pinpoint the movement of prey. Unlike small domestic cats whose pupils turn into vertical slits in bright light, caracal pupils contract into small circles.
3. High-powered jumping: Strong hind legs enable the caracal to leap up to 3 to 5 meters straight up from a sitting position to swat birds right out of the air. They are capable of catching multiple birds in one jump. In ancient India and Iran, trained caracals were released into arenas containing a flock of pigeons. Wagers were then placed on how many birds the cat would take down in a leap. That is the origin of the expression ‘put the cat among the pigeons’.
4. Diet: While their primary diet includes rodents, hares, rock hyrax (dassies), small monkeys, and birds, they frequently take down larger prey like small antelope, and even martial eagles. They are also known to prey on other small predators. They will eat reptiles like lizards and venomous snakes, and invertebrates like insects and scorpions. They don’t usually scavenge. They can survive for long periods without drinking water, getting all the moisture they need from their prey.
5. Caching of prey: Caracals are known on occasion to store their kills in trees, in the manner of leopards. This habit is likely to occur in areas with a high density of hyenas.
6. Vocalisation: Typical feline vocalisations include growls, spits, hisses, meows and a loud cough resembling a leopard’s mating cry. When happy, it purrs similar to a domestic cat.
7. Reproduction: Few studies have examined caracal reproduction in the wild. There is no set breeding period and a female may often mate with up to three males. Females give birth once a year on average and their gestation period is 62 to 81 days. Caracal litter sizes range from one to four kittens, with an average litter size of two. It is believed that kittens start eating meat at four weeks of age and are weaned between four and six months in the wild.
8. Service to humans: The South African Air Force has trained a special group of caracals to keep their runways clear of flocks of birds, thus reducing air strikes that can damage planes. Interestingly, the military designed an armoured reconnaissance vehicle equipped with a stabilised 76 mm high velocity gun for anti-tank and fire support purposes and named it ‘Rooikat’.
9. Royal Egypt Connections: They were tamed and kept in ancient Egypt, where they appeared in paintings, bronze figurines, and guards of royal tombs. Caracals were revered as sacred animals and associated with protection and divine grace.
10. Threats: Despite their wide distribution, caracals face significant local pressures, such as:

• Habitat Destruction: Agriculture, urban expansion, and desertification are fragmenting their habitats, particularly in Central and North Africa and throughout their Asian range.
• Human-Wildlife Conflict: Because caracals sometimes prey on small livestock such as goats and sheep, they are frequently killed by farmers in retaliation.
• Illegal Trade: In some regions, caracals are hunted for their skins or meat, which is considered a luxury in certain cultures. Additionally, they are increasingly targeted for the illegal exotic pet trade.
• Infrastructure: Road kills and attacks by domestic herd dogs are major causes of mortality in countries like Iran and Turkey.

As these elusive hunters increasingly find themselves sharing space with people, understanding and finding ways to coexist with them is becoming more important. By learning more about the caracal and understanding their role in nature, we can take steps towards reducing human-wildlife conflict and living alongside them. Small enough to stay hidden, yet powerful enough to impress, the caracal is one wild cat that deserves the spotlight!

Total length 75-120cm / Tail 15-35cm / Shoulder height 45cm / Mass 8-18kg
The caracal is a fairly robust cat with a red-brown colour over the entire length of the animal except for its underside, especially the belly where it usually fades to white with red-brown spots. The ears have the distinctive black tassels on the points and the back of the ear is black whereas the front and inside ears show long white hair with a slight black tinge at the base in front of the ear.

Mainly nocturnal, but partly diurnal activity if undisturbed.  Solitary, except when mating or when females are accompanied by kittens.

The male is territorial with a home range that may overlap with that of two or more females.  Home ranges of females overlap, but they probably avoid contact by olfactory signals, such as urine, droppings, and tree scratching’s.  Depending on food abundance, home ranges can be as small as 400 ha to as large as 10 000 ha or more.

Coffee table book on caracal 

Coffee table book Simbamangu – through the eyes of caracal was launched on 16 November 2023 and depicts the life of a caracal. 

Dr. Nico Avenant from the National Museum in Bloemfontein co-authored the book, which aim to create awareness of the ecology and behaviour of the cat species, and the highly controversial and delicate topic of predation management.  In an unemotional way, the text presents the facts on a topic that has so many sides and emphasises that the road to finding solutions lies in working together with farmers.  It also highlights the complexities of nature, as well as some of the most recent advances in the field of predation management in Southern Africa. 

Is widely distributed across South Africa and has a preference for areas with medium to taller vegetation that facilitates catching its prey. Caracals prefer mountainous areas where they can use higher positions to spot their prey.

Caracal are renowned for the severe livestock losses they can inflict and their habit to kill more than one animal during a hunt but feed at only one, brings them into further discredit with livestock farmers. 

HOE VANG ‘N MENS ‘N ROOIKAT IN DIE OVERBERG ?

Willem Coetzee soek advies oor die vangs van ‘n probleemdier Rooikat wat verwoesting saai onder sy lammers in die Overberg.

Dr. Gerhard Verdoorn verduidelik prosedure puntsgewys hoe om ‘n Rooikat wat skade veroorsaak, te vang:

1. Jy sal ‘n rooikatvanghok moet kry; vra onder die bure rond of iemand dalk een vir jou kan leen as jy nie alreeds een beskikbaar het nie.
2. Maak die hok goed skoon met kokende warm water, veral die trapplaat.
3. Probeer die rooikathok stel daar waar die kat rondbeweeg en veral as jy sy looppaadjie kan opspoor. Die hok moet langs sy looppad gestel word. Moet geen bedekking oor die hok plaas nie.
4. Plaas lokaas soos karkasreste van ‘n lam wat gevang is, agter in die hok.
5. Maak ‘n klein bolletjie van aluminiumfoelie so groot soos ‘n tennisbal en hang dit in die middel van die hok aan ‘n stukkie wol op.
6. Probeer ‘n mak kat se uriene in die hande kry soos byvoorbeeld die sandboks wat mense vir hul katte gebruik. Sprinkel dit dan op die vloer van die hok.
7. Neem ingewande soos skaaplewer en maak sleepspore na die hok toe vanuit verskillende rigtings van omtrent honderd meter ver.
8. Plaas dan ook daardie lewer in die hok.
9. Inspekteer die hok elke oggend vroeg om te sien of jy wel ‘n rooikat gevang het.

Skakel Dr. Verdoorn by 0824468946 vir enige verdere navrae.

CONTROL METHODS VS. LEGISLATION (DAMAGE CAUSING ANIMAL: CARACAL / LYNX)