Rare caracal sighted in Iran’s Hamadan Province

“A rare species of caracal has been sighted in a no-hunting zone near Razan, a town 85 km to the northeast of Hamadan in western Iran,” Director of the Provincial Environment Protection Department Seyyed Adel Arabi told the Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA) on November 12.

“Following reports that a leopard-like animal has been seen in the zone, the environmental police in Razan began to monitor the area and spotted a rare species of felidae there. The previous sighting went back to 2005 when a caracal was seen in one of the protected areas of Hamadan Province. In 2011, a dead caracal was found near Razan,” he added.

Describing this feline as a rare species of Iran’s biodiversity, he said, “Felines are one of the most important species, because they top the food chain and maintain the balance of other species. The presence of such species in the region shows that the habitat in the area is dynamic and normal for carnivorous and herbivorous animals alike.”

“Caracals are shy and cautious animals, yet they are not timid. They tend to live on their own away from human communities. These mammals usually leave their habitats at night and cannot be seen during the day,” he concluded.