Caracal (The Fastest of The Smaller Wild Cats)

The caracal (Caracal caracal) is a medium-sized wild cat native to Africa, the Middle East, Central Asia, and arid areas of Pakistan and northwestern India.

Caracals live in diverse habitats. They can be found in woodlands, scrub forests, plains, rocky hills, and thickets. They prefer edge habitats, like a transition of a forest/grassland. Caracals can be found at elevations over 3000 meters in the Ethiopian mountains of Ethiopia in Africa. They prefer an arid climate with minimal foliage. In the Asian regions, they are found in forests and seldom live in tropical or desert environments.

The name 'caracal' was termed after the Turkish word 'Karrah-kulak', which means 'black ear'. The function of these ear tufts is still a mystery, but often zookeepers have noticed them communicating with their ear tufts. Like other cats, the caracal meows, growls, hisses, spits, and purr.