Caracal (Lynx) seen at the Cat Rehabilitation Centre at Emdoneni Lodge & Game Farm in Hluhluwe, KwaZulu Natal, South Africa - Photographs and Information

The largest African lesser cat and an exceptional climber and jumper, the caracal is a slenderly built cat with long legs and a short, sharply tapered tail. The Caracal resembles a cross between a leopard and a lynx. Its coat is reddish-brown with distinctive tufted ears and white markings around its eyes and on its throat, chin, and belly.

The Caracal is widespread and common, south of the Sahara. It is far more common in Southern than East Africa.

The caracal is an endangered species. Caracal are mostly killed by farmers, because of predation on their livestock. In some areas of their range they are killed for their skin and meat by bush people.