Africa is renowned for its majestic big cats, but the continent is also home to a host of lesser-known felines (Felidae). Africa’s big cats are the most sought-after animals to spot during safaris. The magnificent lion and the beautiful leopard are part of the popular Big Five.
Among all of these wild animals, the small cat species are often forgotten. Most of these are small, secretive and seldom seen, even by the researchers attempting to learn more about their behavior and ecology. The small cat species are equally impressive as compared to the big cats of Africa.
Although they stay away from humans as well as other animals, these small cats make up some of the most beautiful creatures on the continent. Wild cats are some of the most charismatic animals on earth, and Africa is home to 10 different wild cat species.
Two of them are big cats: African lion and leopard, and eight are classified as small cats: cheetah, serval, caracal, African golden cat, jungle cat, sand cat, African wildcat, and black-footed cat. Three African cats are endemic to the African continent: African golden cat, serval and black-footed cat.
They may not be as well-known as the big cats, or indeed as easy to see, but these medium-sized and small cats are equally beguiling. Each cat species is as beautiful as it is unique. However, despite their differences, all wild cats, from lions to domestic cats, are unmistakably feline.
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They are essentially a variation on the same theme: solitary ambush hunters evolved to catch and kill whatever prey is available where they live. The cats’ incredible adaptations for catching and consuming prey enabled them to become a very successful family. The first step towards learning to live better with wild cats is getting to know them.
Unfortunately, most are under threat, and their population is diminishing due to habitat loss, illegal trading, hunting, and similar causes.
The Big Cats of Africa
Here is the introduction to the 10 wild cats of Africa:
African Lion
The Lion is the largest wild cat in Africa and the second largest cat on earth (after the Siberian tiger). A male African lion grows to up to 225 kg (496 lb) and reaches over two meters in length. The females are smaller - up to 144 kg (317 lb). Lions are the only wild cats that live in groups or prides.
One of the explanations for the lion’s unusual social structure is that it is easier for a group to hold and defend a territory with prime resources (like prey and water availability). Therefore, larger prides have better territories. Lions once ranged across most of Africa and parts of Europe and Asia.
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Today lions are restricted to fragmented populations in Sub-Saharan Africa and a single population in India. A rare variation on the lion theme is the White lion. The white lion population is quite small and restricted South Africa’s to Kruger National Park and the adjoining Timbavati Private Game Reserve.
Many white lions have been removed from the wild for captive breeding in zoos and game parks, further impoverishing the gene pool of the wild population. As apex predators, lions are formidable creatures to share the landscape with.
While lion attacks on humans are rare, they do happen. The most infamous man-eating lions were the two males from Tsavo that reportedly killed 135 people. They were known to drag railway workers from their tents during the construction of the Kenya-Uganda railway in 1898.
One of the theories proposed to explain Tsavo’s lions’ penchant for human flesh posits that historically Tsavo region was traversed by the slave trading routes. Travelling through virgin African bush in the 1800s was a perilous undertaking, and malnourished slaves often died on route. The bodies were never buried but were left for the predators to devour.
So Tsavo lions were probably no strangers to eating human flesh. As gruesome as the idea of the man-eaters is, it is mostly the lions that fall prey to humans, not the other way around. All lion populations are threatened to various degrees. In addition, lions routinely fall victim to trophy hunters.
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The effects of killing a lion are not limited to the individual lion being shot. Trophy hunting is a competitive hobby, and each hunter tries to kill the biggest, strongest lion they can find, which is usually the dominant male who has his own pride. When that male is killed, a younger male or a coalition of males will claim his territory and his pride, killing all dependent cubs to bring females into estrous so he can mate with them.
African Leopard
Africa’s second big cat, the leopard, is one of the most adaptable wild cats in the world, occurring across a wide range of habitats in Africa and Asia. It is the most confident climber of all wild cats of Africa. Despite its elegant build, the leopard is extraordinarily strong, capable of hauling its kills into the trees to keep them safe from lions and hyenas.
While the leopard’s spots may appear very similar to those of the jaguar and the cheetah, the pattern of the spots is distinct in these three cats. Jaguar’s spots or rosettes have smaller spots inside them, while the leopard’s spots are ‘hollow’ inside, filled with the tawny background colour.
Leopard’s are known to attack humans when they live in close proximity. Some of the most notorious man-eating leopard’s have been recorded in India, where a single leopard had killed 400 people in the early 20th century.
Despite its adaptability, the leopard lost 75% of its distribution range mostly through habitat conversion to agricultural lands. The remaining leopards are distributed across multiple isolated populations from South Africa to Sri Lanka.
Some leopards spot a striking black coat. Black leopards often referred to as black panthers, are fairly common, especially in parts of Asia, where they are frequently seen on wildlife safaris.
Cheetah
Cheetah is another exception from the common felid modus operandi of a solitary ambush hunter. Unlike most cats that sneak up on their prey and catch it in a quick burst of power, the cheetah is a cursory hunter - it catches its prey by a sustained high-speed chase. This distinction comes with a very specialized feline body that is quite different to that of other cats.
Just like a galloping horse, the cheetah can lift all four feet off the ground and become airborne. Its nostrils and sinuses are adapted for high oxygen intake so that its blood has enough oxygen to fire up the specialized ‘fast twitch’ muscles. A cheetah’s body is an engineering masterpiece.
Cheetahs are typically solitary hunters. However, young brothers often stay together after leaving their mother, forming a coalition. A variation on the cheetah theme is a King cheetah with an unusual coat due to a rare mutation. Unlike the usual small spots, King cheetah’s coat is patterned with striking large blotchy spots and three thick stripes along the back.
With no more than 50 King cheetahs in the world, mostly living in captivity, it is the rarest type of wild cat on earth.
The Small Cats of Africa
Serval
Serval Cat: The Ultimate Hunter | animal histrology
Servals are medium-sized wild cats native to Sub-Saharan Africa. They are known for their distinctive appearance, which features a slender body, long legs, and a relatively small head with large, rounded ears. Serval is a medium-sized cat endemic to Africa, closely related to the African golden cat and the caracal.
It is a highly specialized and very successful rodent hunter. These wild cat species have golden-yellow coats with black spots and stripes that often get them mistaken for young cheetahs, tigers or even leopards. Servals have the longest legs relative to body size among all felines. These propel them effortlessly through tall grass for a view of their surroundings.
The serval's tawny coat, adorned with black spots and stripes, provides effective camouflage within the dappled light of their savanna and wetland habitats. Cats like tigers have stripes, while cheetahs have spots. Although they don’t actually have stripes, some of the spots are close enough to look like stripes.
This makes it hard to notice them in high grass. Along with the extra-long legs, they have huge ears and a long neck. Surprisingly, these bizarre body parts make them one of the most successful hunters in the wild cat kingdom.
The secret to serval’s success lies in its hunting strategy and some extraordinary adaptations for catching small prey in tall grass. To start with, serval has the longest legs in proportion to the body size of all cat species. The long legs are not only useful for providing a high vantage point but function as loaded springs that allow the serval leap up to 3m straight up in the air and up to 4m forwards.
But first, the serval needs to find its prey. These wild cats are not picky eaters - but they do not scavenge like most wild cats. That’s probably because they are great hunters - they can catch up to 10 frogs an hour when hinting in water. A single serval can kill and eat up to 4000 rodents and 250 snakes in one year.
A typical serval diet consists of small mammals weighing 200g (7 ounces) or less. Servals are generally solitary creatures, leading independent lives outside of breeding season. However, these loners occasionally form temporary partnerships for cooperative hunting or defense against larger predators.
During mating season, males and females come together briefly. Servals are native to various regions in Southern Africa. Their natural habitats predominantly include savannas, which are characterized by a mix of grasslands and open spaces. These wild cats also inhabit areas with reed beds, where the dense vegetation provides additional cover and opportunities for ambushing prey.
Servals are not known to be aggressive towards people. But they are wild animals with specific needs and behaviors that make them unsuitable as household pets. They have strong hunting instincts, are highly territorial, and engage in behaviors like scent marking. The cats also have specialized dietary and exercise needs that are difficult to fulfill in a typical household.
Even with good intentions and resources, keeping a serval as a pet is not in the best interest of the animal, or the owner. Serval populations have declined over the years. However, they aren’t considered endangered save for the Leptailurus serval constantinus subspecies. Beyond poaching, habitat loss due to human activity also significantly contributes to the challenges wild animals encounter in the wild. Climate change is an additional factor that can impact serval habitats.
These wild cats are not picky eaters - but they do not scavenge like most wild cats. That’s probably because they are great hunters - they can catch up to 10 frogs an hour when hinting in water. A single serval can kill and eat up to 4000 rodents and 250 snakes in one year.
A typical serval diet consists of small mammals weighing 200g (7 ounces) or less. Servals are generally solitary creatures, leading independent lives outside of breeding season. However, these loners occasionally form temporary partnerships for cooperative hunting or defense against larger predators.
During mating season, males and females come together briefly. Servals are native to various regions in Southern Africa. Their natural habitats predominantly include savannas, which are characterized by a mix of grasslands and open spaces. These wild cats also inhabit areas with reed beds, where the dense vegetation provides additional cover and opportunities for ambushing prey.
Servals are not known to be aggressive towards people. But they are wild animals with specific needs and behaviors that make them unsuitable as household pets. They have strong hunting instincts, are highly territorial, and engage in behaviors like scent marking. The cats also have specialized dietary and exercise needs that are difficult to fulfill in a typical household.
Even with good intentions and resources, keeping a serval as a pet is not in the best interest of the animal, or the owner. Serval populations have declined over the years. However, they aren’t considered endangered save for the Leptailurus serval constantinus subspecies. The illegal activities of the exotic pet trade and poaching present severe and immediate threats to the well-being and survival of servals and various other wild animals.
Sadly, the consequences of poaching extend beyond individual animals. It can result in population declines, reduced genetic diversity, and disruptions to ecological balance. Beyond poaching, habitat loss due to human activity also significantly contributes to the challenges wild animals encounter in the wild. Climate change is an additional factor that can impact serval habitats.
Caracal
The caracal is the largest of Africa’s small cat species. Its name translates to secretive cat in Swahili and red cat in the Afrikaans language. Caracal is a medium-sized cat that occurs in the savannas and forests across Africa and in parts of the Middle East.
Its most recognizable feature is its large, pointy ears with long black tufts at the ends. It is usually found in areas such as dry woodlands, semi-deserts, and savannahs in Sub- Saharan Africa. The caracal is frequently considered to be regal due to its long black ear tufts, which are its most prominent feature.
It is also one of the few cats that does not have any strips or spots on its coat. Instead, this cat has a tawny red coat that is thick yet short. The caracal has a robust build and weighs between 11 and 20 kg. They are also one of the most powerful small cat species, as they can swim, climb trees, and jump at least 3 metres high to grab prey mid-flight.
They prey on rodents, birds, and even small antelopes. Caracal is the strongest cat for its size, and much of its strength comes from its powerful back legs that can propel the cat two meters into the air from a standstill to snatch a bird from mid-air.
Caracals were tamed in ancient Egypt at least 3,500 years ago. Several centuries later, they were trained for hunting birds and in Iran and India. They were also used in gladiator-style games where a caracal would be unleashed into a pen of feeding doves, and the spectators would place bets on how many doves the caracal would catch.
African Wildcat
If you spot an African wild cat in its natural environment, consider yourself lucky! The reason why it is difficult to see these small cats is that they look exactly like their domestic cousins. Since the African wild cat is also the ancestor of the domestic cat, it is often overlooked.
One of the smaller wild cats of Africa, the African wildcat has a wide distribution across Africa and Asia. About 9,000 years ago, African wildcats were tamed by the early agricultural societies in Mesopotamia. When humans began to cultivate their own food, they also began storing excess grain.
These grain stores attracted hoards of rodents, and wildcats probably followed the rodents to human settlements. However, the wildcat was not fully domesticated until about 4,500 years ago in Ancient Egypt (although some might say they were never fully domesticated). The Egyptians loved their cats and even ascribed a divine status to them.
Sometimes referred to as desert cats, these small cats are widespread in Africa, excluding the rainforest and Sahara. The African wild cat is a short-haired tabby cat with long legs and a thinner tail than a domestic cat. However, due to the diversity of habitats it lives in, this cat features different colours.
The coat of the wildcat ranges from light brown to grey and even darker shades. The average African wild cat weighs around 2 to 6 kg and preys on small rodents, birds, and reptiles. They are nocturnal animals and remain active at night. In terms of appearance, the African wildcat has longer legs than the domestic cat, which gives it a more upright posture when it sits and a different gait when it walks.
