The caracal in the Kgalagadi dunes
It was the dead hours in the Kgalagadi, sun shining high in the sky, animals looking for cover from the blistering heat, and we were driving along among the dunes just hoping for something interesting to come along. A movement barely visible in the red sand on the left caught my eye and I slowed down.
There is something there I said and my guest looked and said it seems like a cat but its bigger with big ears. CARACAL!!! I could not believe it. My first sighting of this usually nocturnal cat. Parked by the side and all of us stared as this amazingly handsome cat walked through the dunes and the clumps of grass.
The rusty colouring of the caracal blends in so well with the red sand in the dunes, it is really not easy to see as you drive along the dunes. This was a dream come true for me, my first sighting of a desert caracal, how amazing. It’s about the size of a mid size dog, like a Dalmatian, the fur is rough and rust red, but it’s the ears that stick out quite literally. They have tufted ears that are really long and black at the back. Makes the caracal look quite striking. They are great bird hunters, and will take young antelope or small antelope from time to time. This was such a handsome creature, we were all completely taken by him.
We watched as he traversed the dunes looking for prey or sniffing for marks of the others of his kind. The feline grace with which he moved through the dunes and the deep sand was mesmerising. The caracal is really a graceful creature.
The Kgalagadi never fails to deliver, come and join me there some time, DreadLion Safaris loves the Kgalagadi.
