The caracal is one of Africa’s most striking medium-sized cats, and one of the least often seen. With a sleek, reddish-tan coat, long legs and tall ears finished with black tufts, it looks a little like a lynx, and is sometimes called the desert lynx. It’s not a true lynx, though. Its name is thought to come from the Turkish for “black ear”.
The cat that catches birds in mid-air
Caracals are famous for their jumping. Their powerful back legs let them spring more than three metres into the air to swat birds out of the sky as they take off. It’s a remarkable thing to see, and the reason the caracal turns up so often in wildlife films.
- Size: about 40 to 50 cm at the shoulder. Males can weigh up to around 19 kg, females a little less.
- Diet: mostly small mammals such as rodents and hares, plus birds, small antelopes and reptiles.
- Habits: solitary, secretive and mostly active at night, especially when it’s cool.
- Habitat: drier country with some cover, from savanna and scrub to semi-desert and rocky hills.
Conservation status
Globally the caracal is listed as Least Concern by the IUCN, because it has a very wide range across Africa, the Middle East and parts of Asia. That hides local problems: in some countries it’s very rare, and across its range it’s killed by livestock owners and affected by habitat loss. In East Africa it’s rarely seen simply because it’s shy and nocturnal, not necessarily because it’s absent.
Where to look in Uganda
Your best chance in Uganda is Kidepo Valley National Park, in the semi-arid far north-east. Kidepo’s dry savanna and rocky kopjes suit the caracal, and the park is also Uganda’s best place for cheetah, ostrich and bat-eared fox. The wider Karamoja region, including Pian Upe Wildlife Reserve, has similar dry-country habitat, but records of caracal there are few and we wouldn’t promise one.
If you’d like to see one up close, the Uganda Wildlife Conservation Education Centre in Entebbe keeps a caracal among its rescued animals.
Where to look in East Africa
- Northern Tanzania: the open plains of the Serengeti and the Ngorongoro area produce occasional sightings, often early in the morning.
- Kenya’s dry parks: Tsavo, Samburu and the Laikipia plateau all have caracal, and the drier, more open country makes them a little easier to spot.
- Night drives: where they’re allowed, in private conservancies and some parks, night drives give you the best odds with any small cat.
Caracal or serval?
People often mix the two up. The serval has a spotted coat, very long legs and large rounded ears without tufts, and prefers long grass and wetlands. The caracal has a plain reddish coat, a shorter tail and pointed, tufted ears, and prefers drier ground. If you see a plain-coated cat with black ear tips, you’ve probably found a caracal.
Practical tips
- Head out at first light. Caracals are most often seen at dawn and dusk, crossing tracks or resting at the edge of cover.
- Bring good binoculars. They’re often spotted at a distance, low in the grass.
- Treat it as a bonus. Even experienced guides can go months without seeing one. Build your trip around the wider wildlife, and enjoy a caracal if luck is on your side.
- Plan Kidepo properly. It’s remote: a scheduled flight from Entebbe is the easiest way in, or it’s a long day on the road through Karamoja.
Where to stay in Kidepo
Accommodation in Kidepo is limited, which is part of its charm. The UWA-run Apoka Rest Camp offers simple, good-value rooms near park headquarters. Kidepo Savannah Lodge, just outside the park, is a comfortable mid-range choice with tented rooms looking over the plains. For a treat, Apoka Safari Lodge has spacious rooms set among the rocks, with wildlife often wandering past. Staying at least two or three nights gives you several dawn and dusk drives, which is exactly when a caracal is most likely to show itself. Because rooms are few, we recommend booking early, especially for the dry season.
Plan it with us
We love sending guests to Kidepo, where the wildlife is wild and the crowds are non-existent. We’ll help you plan flights, lodges and game drives, and combine it with Uganda’s other wildlife safaris or a trip into Kenya or Tanzania.
