Caracals are indigenous to Africa and Central Asia and mostly reported to be sighted in deserts and grasslands in Iran. The wild cat is bigger than a domestic cat and has tufted ears.
The big cat is good at hunting rodents, birds, reptiles, rabbits and snakes. They are mainly nocturnal creatures which live on their own, but join partners during the mating season: winter.
The wild cat is an exclusive, fast hunter whose skills at lurking, camouflaging and hunting have drawn admiration from wildlife enthusiasts and researchers.
All those who have caught caracals hunting describe them as fast hunters. At times they can run faster than cheetahs. They can even jump as high as six feet into the air to hunt crows.
The big cat doesn’t have a particular natural predator. Fortunately, in protected areas in Africa, caracals are sitting pretty. Beyond such areas, however, they are hunted by poachers and farmers.
As for Asia including Iran, things seem worrisome for the wild cat. These animals are fortunately present in different habitats across the vast country of Iran and in terms of population and the variety in habitat are in better conditions than other members of felidae.
The information above along with the following photo gallery appeared in a report published by Yooznameh [Journal of Cheetahs] in its 20th issue.
