Black ear

Caracals live on rocky hills or grasslands in the Middle East, Africa and south Asia. The name caracal is derived from a Turkish word “karakulak” meaning “black ear.” Caracals are easily tamed and are sometimes kept as pets (particularly in the USA) or used to assist humans on hunts in India.

Bird hunters

The caracal was once trained for bird hunting in Iran and India. They were put into arenas containing a flock of pigeons, and wagers were made as to how many the cat would take down. The caracal is capable of leaping into the air and knocking down 10-12 birds at one time!

This is the origination of the expression “to put a cat amongst the pigeons.”

Fastest and heaviest

Caracals are the heaviest and fastest of all the small cats. Their body length is between 60 and 91 cms (23.5-36 inches), their tail length is between 23-31 cms (9-12 inches) and they weigh between 6 and 19 kgs (13-42 lbs).

Published in Dawn, Young World, August 17th, 2019