Caracals of Cape Town have always been a sight to behold. With their regal personas and long, tufted ears, these elusive wild cats have everyone entranced whenever they’re spotted.
Another pair of frame-worthy Cape caracal images have been snapped by a camera trap set up by the Mother City’s very own Urban Caracal Project near the University of Cape Town recently.
Also read: Cape Town’s caracals exposed to harmful ‘forever chemicals’
The shy caracal, or rooikat, is a medium-sized rufous-fawn cat with distinctive tufted black ears, a creamy underbelly with faded orange spots, and long legs. Its face has exquisite markings, and it has light green to orange eyes.
These camera trap images were taken as part of the Khusela Ikamva Sustainable Campus project. As part of the project’s research to quantify the presence and abundance of wildlife on and around UCT campus, a camera trap grid has been placed along a gradient of urbanisation running from the campus itself into Table Mountain National Park.
And as a result, we are graced with some gorgeous snaps of Cape Town’s enchanting wildcat on a semi-regular basis – yay!
Take a look:
The Urban Caracal Project aims to protect biodiversity through research and conservation. It operates through the Institute for Communities and Wildlife in Africa (iCWild) at the University of Cape Town.
Ways to support the project:
- Please immediately report all road kill caracals in the Cape Town area (i.e. the Peninsula and outer suburbs) to Dr Gabriella Leighton at [email protected] or call 079 837 8814.
- The project relies exclusively on donations and grant support that has funded everything from GPS-collars and caracal tracking efforts, genetic analyses, supplies, pesticide and disease testing, health assessments, and many more!
- Report caracal sightings here.
Its current project expenses are focused on supporting the work of a PhD student Gabriella Leighton as she wraps up her urban caracal project on disease testing at the University of Cape Town.
Any amount helps and 100% of donations go to the project:
Standard Bank of South Africa Limited
- Beneficiary Reference: iCWild Urban Caracal
- Account name: UCT Donations Account
- Branch name: Rondebosch
- Branch code: 025009
- Branch address: Belmont Road, Rondebosch 7700, Cape Town
- Account number: 071522387
- Account type: Current
- Swift address: SBZAZAJJ
To assist with the prompt identification and processing of donations, please include an abbreviated donor name and donation purpose in the bank reference field.
Once a deposit or electronic payment has been made, please notify the project by email at [email protected] and [email protected], explaining what the donation is for.
Also read:
Picture: Urban Caracal Project, Cape Town, South Africa / Facebook