THE CARACAL CAT  
Caracal caracal

The Caracal is sometimes called a "Persian Lynx" or "African Lynx". It's a medium-sized wild cat which is usually labelled a small cat, but is amongst the heaviest and fastest of all small cats in the wild. Male Caracals typically weigh about 28-40 lbs, while females are smaller. For a long time it was considered a close relative of the lynxes. However, recent DNA research has shown that the Caracal is instead related to the Serval and the African Golden Cat.

The long, tufted black ears of the Caracal explain the origin of its name – karakulak, which is Turkish for "black ear". 20 different muscles in those ears help it find its prey while the sensitive tufts of fur further help to pinpoint its prey. The Caracal is able to snatch a bird in flight, sometimes more than one at a time. It can jump and climb exceptionally well, and due to its hunting skill and ingesting the body fluids of its captured prey, the Caracal can go for long periods of time without drinking water.

In the wild, Caracals live an average of 12 years, which increases to 17 years in captivity. It's said that Caracals are one of the easiest wild cats to tame.

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