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In Africa, many big cats are hunted by pastoralists or government "problem animal control" officers. Certain protected areas exist that shelter large and exceptionally visible populations of African leopards , lions and cheetahs, such as Botswana's Chobe , Kenya's Masai Mara , and Tanzania's Serengeti ; outside these conservation areas, hunting ...
African wildcats were first domesticated about 10,000 years ago in the Near East, and are the ancestors of the domestic cat (F. catus). [19] Domestic cats and African wildcats remain closely related in the present day; interspecific hybrids between domestic cat and African wildcats are common, and occur where their ranges overlap. [22]
The caracal (Caracal caracal) (/ ˈ k ær ə k æ l /) is a medium-sized wild cat native to Africa, the Middle East, Central Asia, and arid areas of Pakistan and northwestern India. It is characterised by a robust build, long legs, a short face, long tufted ears, relatively short tail, and long canine teeth .
The Southern African wildcat (Felis lybica cafra) is an African wildcat subspecies native to Southern and Eastern Africa. [1] In 2007, it was tentatively recognised as a distinct subspecies on the basis of genetic analysis . [ 2 ]
The head is small and more rounded compared to other big cats. [66] Saharan cheetahs have canine-like slim faces. [64] The ears are small, short and rounded; they are tawny at the base and on the edges and marked with black patches on the back. The eyes are set high and have round pupils. [61]
A captive serval in Auckland Zoo Melanistic serval, in Kenya Leucistic serval at Big Cat Rescue. The serval is a slender, medium-sized cat; it stands 54 to 62 cm (21–24 in) at the shoulder and weighs 8 to 18 kg (18–40 lb), but females tend to be lighter. The head-and-body length is typically between 67 and 100 cm (26–39 in). [20]
The wildcat is a species complex comprising two small wild cat species: the European wildcat (Felis silvestris) and the African wildcat (F. lybica).The European wildcat inhabits forests in Europe, Anatolia and the Caucasus, while the African wildcat inhabits semi-arid landscapes and steppes in Africa, the Arabian Peninsula, Central Asia, into western India and western China. [2]
Rank Common name Scientific name Image Weight range kg (pounds) Maximum weight kg (pounds) Length range (m) Maximum length (m) [a] Shoulder height (cm) Native range by continent(s)