The elusive African Wild Cat

Guests at our Sausage Tree Safari Camp in the Greater Kruger were treated to the extraordinary sight of the very rarely seen African Wild Cat strolling off into the night with a scrub hare for dinner firmly gripped in its jaws. The accompanying video quality is poor but the content is great. 

Surprisingly, given its common name , African Wild Cat ( felis lybica ) is found in West and Central Asia as well as Africa. Not only in bushveld and grassland savannah but in desert areas as well . 

It is a shock to see one for the first time as one expects it to look somehow different to a domestic cat but this is not the case . Sandy grey fur and pale vertical stripes on the sides and around the face. It is considerably smaller than the European Wildcat. Generally in comparison with your average domestic cat it does have longer legs, more reddish ears and sits more upright.

It is a testament to its alertness and survival skills that it manages to co exist in our area despite the presence of considerably more powerful predator species. 

Unlike the African Wild Dog which has remained separate from domestic dogs, Dna studies of African Wild Cats have revealed much hybridisation with domestic cats in many areas.

Their nocturnal hunting skills rely heavily on their acute hearing and they feed mainly on mice , rats , lizards, birds and insects. 

Although obviously Lions and Leopard are the focus of guests’ feline sightings desires it is surprising and gratifying how captivated our guests are when we do get a Wildcat sighting.