African Golden Cat – Cat 3 of 3 in the Caracal family of cats - Wild Cat Family

African Golden Cat – Cat 3 of 3 in the Caracal family of cats

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African Golden Cat (Caracal aurata)

The African Golden Cat is one of the three cats in the Caracal family of cats and its closest relatives are the Caracal and the Serval. All three of these cats are medium-sized and occur predominantly in Africa. It occupies the central African forests whereas the Caracal ranges over the more arid regions and Servals occur in the moister habitats.

African Golden Cats have been little studied but with ongoing deforestation and the bush meat trade in central Africa, this cat is likely increasingly threatened as its habitat and prey species disappear.

There is also an Asiatic Golden Cat that you may have heard of, and it was once thought these two cats were related, but subsequent genetic studies placed the African Golden Cat closer to the African cats. Interestingly though, both species show considerable range in coat color, from golden/reddish to silver/grey and even black.

African Golden Cat

African Golden Cat Articles

African Golden Cat

Feline Unseen: The African Golden Cat

“The golden cat is so mysterious it wasn't photographed in the wild until 2002, and researchers still disagree on its scientific name.

Some suggest there are 10,000 left in the wilds of Equatorial Africa, but no one really knows.

The African golden cat is most threatened by habitat loss; its stronghold is in the Congo Basin.”

Image credit and full article: https://news.mongabay.com/2015/08/feline-unseen-the-african-golden-cat/

The African golden cat Caracal aurata in Tanzania: first record and vulnerability assessment

“We report on the first population found in Tanzania of the Vulnerable African golden cat Caracal aurata, extending its documented range c. 200 km to the south and south-east.

This is one of the least-known and truly forest-dependent felines in Africa, ranging across the Guinea–Congolian forest block.

We recorded the new population in Minziro Nature Forest Reserve, north-west Tanzania, during a 3-month survey.”

Image credit and full article: https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/oryx/article/african-golden-cat-caracal-aurata-in-tanzania-first-record-and-vulnerability-assessment/

 

Caracal aurata
African Golden Cat

28 Observations on iNaturalist

There are only 28 images of this rare species on iNaturalist and most are trail camera images.

Note there are images of dead animals in case you are a sensitive viewer.

iNaturalist is a global platform for the public to upload images of wild creatures they have seen in nature. If you have any photos of natural biodiversity from your travels be sure to open an account and upload your images. Identification is verified by other members and the data can be used in future research. A great way to contribute to conservation and research!

Image credit at: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/141108157

Zoology - Understanding the Animal World

Do you want to know more about Zoology? I think we all know it is the study of animals but what exactly does it entail?

Great Courses Plus is a streaming service of educational lectures. They have a video series on Zoology that introduces the subject and gives a basic understanding of zoology and animal conservation. It is presented by experts from the Smithsonian National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute.

Sample video 16: Carnivore Mammals: Feline, Canine and Ursine

"Lets turn now from herbivores to carnivores like lions, tigers, bears, wolves, cats, and dogs. Among the many insights you'll learn are the different ways carnivores evolved to walk and capture prey, as well as their evolutionary history, which stretches back to tree-dwelling animals that lived 50 and 60 million years ago...."

Great Courses Plus has a free trial of 14 days, so you can easily cover this series in that time with 1-2 videos a day. Watch the trailer here.

This series is also ideal for anyone considering a career in Zoology, so please forward this information to anyone you know that could benefit.

Zoology lecture series by the Smithsonian

If you know of anyone that may be interested in studying wild cats, please share this post with them.

There is a dire need for research on the lesser known smaller cats.

I would love to encourage as many budding zoologists as possible to specialize in these wonderful animals!

Many thanks!

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