Caracal

A caracal is a big cat who lives in desert areas. Caracals have little black tuffs on the end of their ears. These tuffs help focus sound to improve their hunting ability. They hunt mostly birds that fly by them. To allow them to catch the birds, their back legs are so powerful they can jump more than 10 feet in the air. They are even able to twist and change directions once in the air.

Like most animals often found in the desert, they can go without water in case of drought. In a drought, they will get their water through their food. Though they are nocturnal, caracals can be seen in the daytime. Its more common for them to be out in the daytime in more remote regions. You can sometimes find them in trees due to their climbing abilities.

In ancient Egyptian culture, the caracal appears to have had a religious significance. Archaeologists have found paintings and bronze figurines which look like a caracal. The sculptures were believed to guard the tombs of pharaohs. Archeologists have found embalmed caracals in their digs. In the paintings the ear tuffs have been depicted in elaborate fashion in some of the tombs. The tuffs have also been referred to as umm risha’t or “mother of feathers”.