A fantastic Caracal and a successful hunt! There it was in the distance but unmistakable! We approached as close as we could but it was still some distance away. Filming was tough because it was very windy and there was a significant heat haze. Nevertheless, we watched it for quite a while. Suddenly it spotted something and set off a great speed. It had caught a Savannah Hare and quickly dispatched it. The Caracal proceeded to eat the unfortunate creature but for most of the time it was hidden by the long grass. Then to our delight it emerged with the remains of the carcass and headed towards us. What a magnificent sighting of a lovely cat!
Caracals are medium-sized cats characterised by a robust build, long legs and strikingly tufted ears. They reach 40-50cm at the shoulder. Males can weigh 12-18kg, whilst females are typically 8-13kg. They are solitary, territorial and carnivorous cats. They feed mainly on small mammals but are capable of taking prey up to three times their body weight. Caracals will take birds by flushing them from long grass and leaping in the air to catch them.