HABITAT
Caracals are typically found in woodlands, thickets, and scrub forest, plains and rocky hills are also common habitats.

GEOGRAPHIC REGION AND RANGE
Caracals are distributed over much of Africa, Central Asia and southwestern Asia.

DIET
Carnivores. Eat mostly birds and small mammals but occasionally reptiles as well. In the zoo, they eat a feline diet consisting of meat (feline meatballs, etc.) and boiled eggs.

PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION
A sleek, short-haired cat with reddish-brown fur and black tufts of hair on their pointed ears. Their undersides are white and, similar to African golden cats, are adorned with many small spots.
The trademark features of caracals are their elongated and black-tufted ears. Their legs are relatively long and the hind legs are disproportionately tall and well-muscled.

LIFESPAN
Natural Habitat: 12 years
Under Human Care: Up to 20 years

THREATS
Predation on small livestock has resulted in the extermination of thousands of caracals annually. This is especially the case in South Africa and Namibia, where predator control programs have been put in place.  As caracals are capable of taking small domestic livestock, they are often subject to persecution. Habitat destruction is a threat to caracals in central, west, north, and northeast Africa.

STATUS
Least Concern