Caracal

Caracal caracal

### Regions

Morocco, Algeria, Egypt, Mali, Niger, Chad, Sudan, South Sudan, Ethiopia, Senegal, The Gambia, Guinea-Bissau, Guinea, Burkina Faso, Ivory Coast, Ghana, Togo, Benin, Nigeria, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Uganda, Kenya, Somalia, Tanzania, Democratic Republic of Congo, Angola, Zambia, Malawi, Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, South Africa, Lesotho, Eswatini, Turkey, Lebanon, Syria, Israel, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Yemen, Oman, Iraq, Iran, Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Afghanistan, Pakistan, India

## Habitat

### Water Area

534 m² +111 m²/ea. add'l
0 m²

### Temperature

81 m² +54 m²/ea. add'l
0‒43 ℃

## Social

### Fem. Bachelor

1‒2 (up to 1 male, up to 1 female)
1
1

### Sterility

1.5 years
15 years

### Interbirth

2 months
24 months

## Taxonomy

### Order

Mammalia
Carnivora

### Genus

Felidae
Caracal

The **Caracal** (*Caracal caracal*) is a mid-sized African felid featured in the Grasslands Animal Pack DLC for *Planet Zoo*.

## Zoopedia Description

### General

**Population In Wild:** Unknown

The caracal (or Caracal caracal) is a small wildcat living in the savannahs, marshes, semi-deserts and wood and scrublands of Africa and the Middle East. Its coat is tan-red with a paler underside and the body is stocky with large feet and a comparatively short tail. It has large pointed ears with long, black tufts protruding from the tips, as well as dark facial markings above the eyes and sides of their lips. Caracal males are slightly larger than females, but sexes otherwise look alike. Males stand 41cm to 53cm tall at the shoulder, have a head-body length of 75cm to 108cm with and weigh 7.2kg to 19kg. Females are 39cm to 51cm tall, 71cm to 103cm long and weigh 7kg to 15.9kg. The short tail is between 18cm and 34cm long.

Caracals are categorised as a species of Least Concern and are not endangered. Historically, caracals have been tamed and used for hunting in some cultures.

### Social

In the wild, caracals are solitary animals and live alone except for mothers with their cubs.

### Reproduction

Caracals breed throughout the year, with peaks in winter and spring. A female in oestrus is restless and vocalises a lot to attract a mate. She will be fertile for a period of 1 to 3 days and will remain with her mate for this period, and they will mate around 5 times a day. Shortly after this fertile period, both animals will split up again.

Following a pregnancy of 68 to 81 days, the female gives birth to a litter of 1 to 4 kittens. On average, 2 kittens survive into adulthood. They are born blind, deaf and unable to walk, and remain so until 3 weeks old. During this time, they stay hidden in the den, which the mother will have created in a hollow tree, thicket or an abandoned burrow. At 4 weeks old, kittens begin exploring outside the den and will start accompanying their mother on longer trips from 10 weeks old on. She cares closely for her offspring, and begins teaching them to hunt at 4 months old. Weaning is completed by 6 months, and kittens generally remain with their mothers for 6 to 12 months before becoming independent and solitary.

Female caracals reach sexual maturity between 7 and 12 months old, while males reach sexual maturity at 9 to 14 months old. However, they are unlikely to successfully mate until 15 months old.

## Animal Care

 FEEDING STATIONS
 FOOD ENRICHMENT
Frozen Blood Pumpkin · Piñata Pronghorn · Piñata Zebra
Block of Ice · Blood Scent Marker · Cardboard Box · Gift Box · Prey-Scented Sack · Rubbing Pad Bark · Rubbing Pad · Scratching Post · Scots Pine/Tamarind Scratching Tree · Sprinkler

## Trivia

### Zoopedia Fun Facts

* The word caracal is derived from the Turkish 'Kara-kulak' which means ‘black ear’.
* The caracal can jump over 3m straight up into the air, often using this skill to catch airborne birds.
* The caracal is able to take down prey 3 times their size.
* Caracals are also known as ‘desert lynxes’ due to their lynx-like tufted ears and bobbed tail resembling lynx characteristics. Still, the lynx and caracal remain separate genera.
* The caracal has been trained to assist humans with hunting, and has also been featured in sport hunting where watchers would place bets on how much prey the caracal could catch in a set period of time.